Paul Okroj, VHS Trustee and Director of External Engagement at Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, recently chaired VHS’ 20th Anniversary celebration event. Here he shares his reflections on the importance of the work of voluntary health organisations and why they are needed now more than ever.
As VHS celebrates twenty years of impact, it is clear that whilst so much has been achieved, there is still so much work to be done in the voluntary health sector.
Public Health Scotland recently called for a preventative approach to healthcare in Scotland, saying the burden of disease from an ageing population is likely to grow.
The PHS chief executive said the health service cannot deal with the issue alone and wide-ranging improvements around poverty, work, education, housing and other areas are needed.
This statement highlights the vital contribution of Voluntary Health Scotland and Voluntary Health Organisations (VHOs) in the sector to tackle health inequalities. Supporting prevention interventions has never been more needed to ensure that we continue to progress towards equality and equity in our health society.
All of us working in the voluntary health sector have great ambitions for what we can achieve, whether through influencing policy, supporting the building blocks that underpin the tackling of health inequalities, and delivering services. Yet still we have a lot to do to address this unjust and avoidable inequity.
We must amplify the incredible contribution that we all make in tackling health inequalities and empowering preventative community led and people driven services.
At Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland we are acutely aware of the need to address the impact of health equalities on the service users we support.
Our No Life Half Lived Strategy and Community Health Care Support Service focusses on improving knowledge of risk factors, identifying early signs and symptoms, and tackling health inequalities to help individuals and communities in Scotland live healthier lives.
This work is particularly vital as we estimate that 1 in 5 people in Scotland are dealing with the effects of chest, heart and stroke conditions and Long Covid right now. This includes the estimated 136,000 people living with the effects of stroke, the 477,000 living with asthma and COPD, and the 180,000 living with Long Covid across the country.
Each person living with these conditions has a different set of needs and rehabilitation requirements. It is Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland’s aim to provide access to a range of services including our Stroke Nursing services, online condition management resources, peer support groups, advice line services, and accessible physical activities to enable them to successfully self manage their conditions to ensure there is No Life Half Lived in Scotland.
Our collaboration and partnership working with VHS and its members, coupled with their achievements, the developments they have led on, the impact they have made, their passion, values and vision is what drove me to join the Board of VHS.
Voluntary Health Scotland has supported the provision of health and social care service developments and ensured community led health improvements across Scotland. VHS promotes the voice of lived experience and the self-management of health conditions and advocated for the vital contribution of Peer support and volunteering. In addition, it has led a group of Third Sector Organisations to challenge the Government to tackle isolation and loneliness in Scotland.
VHS has demonstrated what a difference collective working in our sector has made to tackling healthcare inequalities, particularly in mitigating their impact and challenging and calling out the underlying socioeconomic issues that are at the root of these inequalities.
Together we need to continue to improve health related policy, systems and partnership working, and to help people and communities to live healthier and fairer lives. Let’s be ambitious and passionate about what the voluntary health sector can achieve for people’s health and wellbeing throughout Scotland.
As we always say – we are never more needed than we are now!
