healthscotland.com

Background and Policy Context

Scottish Government health policy recognises the need to tackle the inequalities in health within the population of Scotland. A key approach identified in the health policies including Delivering for Health (2005) (external link), Better Health Better Care (2007) (external link) and Equally Well (2008)(external link), is to address the health inequalities through Anticipatory Care.

In Delivering for Health (2005) (external link), a key priority was stated as ‘strengthening primary care teams and promoting anticipatory care in disadvantaged areas.’ This will reduce health inequalities by:

• targeting health improvement action and resources at the most disadvantaged areas
• building capacity in primary care to deliver proactive, preventative care
• providing early interventions to prevent escalation of health care needs.

One of the strategic objectives in Better Health Better Care (2007) (external link) is to ‘help people to sustain and improve their health, especially in disadvantaged communities, ensuring better, local and faster access to health care’. It outlines anticipatory care programmes as one of the key vehicles for reducing Scotland’s health inequalities.

NHS Health Scotland’s Anticipatory Care programme

In NHS Health Scotland, our focus has predominantly been on developing, supporting and evaluating the roll out of Keep Well and Well North in the most deprived areas of Scotland. NHS Health Scotland is also supporting plans to mainstream the Keep Well programme from April 2012.

To support this focus, the breadth of the programme has expanded to include investment in settings-based approaches such as checks delivered in community pharmacies. The Anticipatory Care programme has developed to include work around long term conditions, stress and wellbeing and increased links with the community and voluntary sector.

Reviewed 24 October 2011