The Scottish Health Impact Assessment (HIA) Network
The Review of the Public Health Function, published in 2000, recommended the formation of a Scottish Health Impact Assessment Network to develop approaches to HIA and share ideas.
This network is co-ordinated by Health Scotland and seeks to include all those working or planning to work on health impact assessments in Scotland.
Quick links on this page:
About the Scottish HIA Network
Scottish HIA Network meeting minutes
What is Health Impact Assessment?
HIA web links
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and HIA
Scottish HIA Network documents
Further information
About the Scottish HIA Network
The network meets twice yearly, but communicates more regularly by email to share ideas, problems and experiences.
Within the broad group, there are smaller groups that undertake specific tasks. At present, network members are involved in producing a guide to HIA and transport developments and also working on HIA and land use and spatial planning.
Other areas of work for the network include:
- Link with other organisations and share local and international experience of HIA.
- Raise awareness of HIA and encourage its use as part of partnership work at all levels.
- Develop screening criteria to help decide when HIA is needed at local level.
- Develop frameworks for HIA in various topic areas or sectors.
- Integrated impact assessment.
- Strategic Environmental Assessment and HIA.
Scottish HIA Network meeting minutes
Minutes of Scottish HIA Network – 15 June 2006
Minutes of Scottish HIA Network – 6 December 2005
Minutes of Scottish HIA Network – 26 May 2005
Minutes of Scottish HIA Network – 7 December 2004
Minutes of Scottish HIA Network – 11 June 2004
Minutes of HIA Network – 10 December 2003
Minutes of HIA Network – 17 June 2003
Minutes of HIA Network – 3 December 2002
What is Health Impact Assessment?
Policy decisions in a variety of areas such as education, employment, transport, housing, finance and welfare impact on health. Health Impact Assessment (HIA) uses a range of methods and approaches to help identify potential or actual health impacts of policies and uses this information to minimise any negative and maximise positive impacts.
HIA is a fairly new concept and debates are ongoing about various aspects of its application and appropriate methodologies. There is growing national and international support for incorporating HIA into policy-making processes and there have been strong endorsements by the UK government. It is also a major recommendation in the Acheson Report (external link) on inequalities in health and is recognised in statements from the World Health Organization and the European Union gathered together in the Gothenburg Consensus Paper.
Download the Gothenburg Consensus Paper (external link) [PDF – 138Kb]
The WHO Healthy Cities Phase IV (external link) also focuses on health impact assessment.
HIA can range from a rapid appraisal to an in-depth piece of research, should ideally be prospective but may be retrospective, and may employ both qualitative and quantitative approaches to data collection. The adoption of HIA by decision-makers, and steps to incorporate it into relevant policy development processes, is important if we are to begin to positively affect the broad social determinants of health and impact in a more dramatic and holistic way on the upstream influences on health.
HIA web links
World Health Organization (Europe) – HIA and SEA (external link)
UK HIA Gateway(external link) – this is the most comprehensive UK HIA website and includes a database of completed HIAs
Institute of Public Health in Ireland (external link)
Welsh HIA Support Unit (external link)
HIA Research Unit, University of Birmingham (external link)
Impact – International HIA Consortium (external link)
NHS Lothian HIA (external link)
WHO Healthy City in Scotland is Stirling (external link).
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and HIA
During 2005, there has been a substantial amount of work done on the links between HIA and SEA in Scotland. The EU directive on SEA was introduced in July 2004 and Scottish legislation passed in November 2005. The Directive includes a list of project proposals that must be subject to an SEA.
Download EU directive on SEA (external link) [PDF – 100 Kb]
However, the Scottish Parliament has decided to extend the scope of SEA legislation to cover all public sector strategies, policies, plans and proposals and is introducing legislation to enable that. SEA requires explicit consideration of significant impacts on 'human health' when a development is proposed.
The Scottish Executive is producing guidance about SEA. The section on the consideration of human health issues has had some input from members of the Scottish HIA Network. More information about HIA and SEA can be found in a briefing paper prepared for Scottish HIA Network members.
Scottish HIA Network documents
The network vision paper sets out a simple introduction to the principles of HIA with some examples of how to start doing HIAs.
Health Impact Assessment – a guide for local authorities (2001) is the first publication of the HIA network.
The Scottish Needs Assessment Programme was responsible for two detailed HIAs that were published in 1999/2000:
Download HIA of the City of Edinburgh Council’s Urban Transport Strategy (external link) [PDF – 343Kb]
Download HIA of North Edinburgh Area Renewal Housing Strategy (external link) [PDF – 193Kb]
Health Impact Assessment of Housing Improvements: A Guide (2003) was produced by a sub-group of the Scottish HIA Network. The guide aims to assist those involved in assessing the potential health impacts of housing improvement programmes by providing accessible and reliable information. We hope this document will facilitate joint working between health and housing professionals.
The Guide provides comprehensive summaries of the relevant housing and health research and housing policy context, as well as an overview of the process of HIA. In addition, a digest of the research evidence has been prepared along with an indication of the most important questions to ask of a housing improvement programme in terms of potential health impacts (see pages 14-16).
From HIA to Better Policy Making: A Status Report (2003) was written by Jill Muirie of Health Scotland, with the support of the Scottish Health Impact Assessment Network. Its purpose is to provide information on the 'current state of play' with regard to health impact assessment (HIA) in Scotland and to stimulate debate about the future contribution of the approach to decision-making at national and local level in Scotland. Specifically the report seeks to:
- Establish the status of HIA in Scotland.
- Compare this with progress in the other UK countries.
- Propose sound, effective and realistic ways to better incorporate health considerations in policy decision-making across all sectors in Scotland in the future.
Margaret Douglas and Jill Muirie, HIA in Scotland in Kemm, John, Parry, Jayne and Palmer, Stephen (eds.), Health Impact Assessment, Oxford UP, Oxford, 2004, pp191-200.
Martin Higgins, Margaret Douglas and Jill Muirie, Can health feasibly be considered as part of the planning process in Scotland? Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 25, 2005, pp723-736 9 (external link).
Health Impact Assessment of Transport Initiatives: A Guide (2007) aims to assist those involved in assessing the potential health impacts of transport intiatives by providing accessible and reliable information. We hope this document will facilitate joint working between health and transport professionals
Further information
For further information or to join the HIA network contact Martin Higgins.
Tel: 0131 536 9158
Email: martin.higgins@lhb.scot.nhs.uk
Access further information about Health Scotland’s Local Government Health Improvement Programme at www.healthscotland.com/localgovernment