healthscotland.com

What do we do?

The EfA Division is part of NHS Health Scotland’s Public Health Science Directorate. We inform national and local efforts to improve health and reduce health inequalities by:

• gathering together evidence and evidence-informed recommendations relating to the effectiveness of action in key subject areas
• processing and communicating these pieces of information in ways that help policy-makers, organisations and practitioners to develop and deliver effective action
• promoting and contributing to the further development of approaches to evidence-informed decision-making.

How do we do it?

Our current main general objectives are to:

• provide evidence inputs to the development of health improvement policies and programmes, to enhance their effectiveness
• produce and disseminate Scottish Briefings on selected pieces of public health guidance published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in England, to help organisations, professionals and others to make appropriate use of such guidance in a Scottish context
• promote an approach to health improvement decision-making that combines evidence, theory and ethics
• develop more fully fit-for-purpose ways of capturing, assessing and communicating evidence on how to improve health and tackle health inequalities
• promote a strategic approach to translating learning into action.

In addition, EfA:

• leads Health Scotland’s programme of work contributing to the delivery of the Good Places, Better Health implementation plan, and coordinates the Healthy Environment Network
• has led and coordinated the comprehensive evaluation of the ban on smoking in public places in Scotland, and dissemination of the findings.

What staff do we have, and what are their remits?

Within the EfA Division there are two teams, with the following work portfolios.

EfA1

• Tobacco
• Alcohol, substance misuse
• Food, nutrition, healthy weight
• Physical activity, healthy weight
• Sexual health & wellbeing
• Adults

EfA2

• Healthy environments
• Early years
• Children, families, communities
• Young people, local government
• Mental health improvement
• Anticipatory care, heart health

Cross cutting briefings

EfA have started a series of cross cutting briefings. The first - on asset-based approaches - explains what is meant by asset-based approaches and summarises what is already known about their potential for improving health.

Working with others

EfA staff work closely with a wide range of colleagues within and outwith NHS Health Scotland, through formal and informal groups and networks as well as one-to-one contacts. We lead a wide range of projects and provide specialist inputs to many others.

We have good working links with other national evidence agencies, in Scotland – Healthcare Improvement Scotland (external link) and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) (external link), and in England – NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence)(external link).

For more information on the EfA function, EfA1 and EfA2 teams, or to give feedback, please contact Dr Matt Lowther, Principal Public Health Adviser (matthew.lowther@nhs.net) and Dr Sheila Beck, Principal Public Health Adviser (sheila.beck@nhs.net), respectively.

Updated 28 October 2011