Public health legislation, drug and alcohol harm reduction, abortion buffer zones and mitigating the health impacts of the energy crisis are areas of vital importance to the government according to the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s statement today.

Amidst a “rapidly escalating crisis”, Nicola Sturgeon has her government’s focus zeroed-in on the cost of living and energy crisis and confirms an uplift in the Scottish Child Payment and new legislation preventing both rent increases and evictions.

This year’s programme for government is light on health and care attention – in stark parallel to last year’s programme – and many mentions are already-announced policies or missed pledges from last year.

Two key pieces of legislative reform within health are on the calendar for this year, one establishing a patient champion in the healthcare system and another supporting healthy food choices, and mental health and drugs deaths receive some attention ahead of a Ministerial statement later this week.

Patient Safety Commissioner

Ms Sturgeon said that legislation to introduce a Patient Safety Commissioner, to “help improve safety and amplify the voice” of patients, will be introduced within a year.

According to the document, the role will ‘champion the voice of the patient within the patient safety system’, as part of a broader effort to develop a system-wide view of healthcare in Scotland.

This commitment is a repeat of an undelivered commitment in last year’s programme for government. A consultation on what the role should look like was published in March 2021, and an analysis of responses is yet to be published.

Public Health Bill & preventable deaths

Legislation restricting promotion of less healthy food and drink has also been announced.

The Public Health (Restriction of Promotions) Bill will, according to the document, make it easier for people to spend less and make healthier food choices.

Ahead of the First Minster’s statement, Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Alliance Scotland called for the government to “act now to stop preventable deaths” by  restricting price and location promotions on high, fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) products.

Another call of the NCD has today been answered, with the Scottish government set to consult on proposals to restrict alcohol advertising later this year.

Drug deaths

With just a 1% decrease in drug-related deaths in 2021, Ms Sturgeon has today committed to “drive forward” the national mission to reduce drug harm.

The First Minister announced a safer drug consumption facility could be soon established in Glasgow. An initial proposal on a facility, within the existing legal framework, has been shared with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service for consideration.

Safe drug consumption facilities have been proven to prevent fatal overdoses and support long-term recovery and access to care for people who have or are using drugs.

The programme also commits to publishing a cross-government action plan on tackling the broader inequalities experienced by people who use drugs, and an anti-stigma plan.

Earlier in the meeting of parliament, Drugs Policy Minster Angela Constance said government will continue to “follow the evidence”, invest in services to support people and “trust lived and living experience” to inform actions and policy.

The Drugs Policy Minster will make a full statement on the drugs deaths crisis on Thursday this week.

Women’s healthcare

The long-awaited appointment of a Women’s Health Champion, announced in the Women’s Health Plan last year, will take place this year according to the document.

Among a “range of actions to improve women’s access to healthcare”, the First Minister today announced that a Women’s Health Champion will be appointed. In this role, the Women’s Health Champion will work to ‘drive forward all the actions in our Women’s Health Plan, including on better diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis, and better access to information and support for menopause’.

The Scottish government will also support with the development and drafting of a Member’s Bill to protect women’s right to safe abortion services free from harassment, following a forthcoming Supreme Court judgement.

The Scottish government previously favoured a local approach to buffer zones, rather than national legislation. Campaigning group Back Off Scotland has thanked the First Minister for the “hugely significant step forward” in the national campaign.

Following a widespread campaign from Green MSP Gillian Mackay and Back Off Scotland, the First Minister has held two summits on the issue.

The document also says this consideration is to be given to further actions needed to ‘embed women’s rights’ to safe healthcare access in the future.

Mental health and wellbeing

Announced during suicide prevention week, the programme for government commits to publishing a new mental health and wellbeing strategy in the coming year.  A long-term suicide prevention strategy, to be developed and delivered in collaboration with COSLA, will also be published.

In its single mention of health and social care workforce, the document pledges to expand the mental health workforce, to enable the service to take-on another 10,000 cases.

Financial support

During the declaration to parliament, Ms Sturgeon emphasises that all of these commitments come against a backdrop of “the most severe cost of living crisis in our lifetimes”. 

With more people set to be pushed into poverty, worsening health outcomes and increased pressure on the NHS, she said that it is essential to act on a scale similar to the pandemic response.

Ms Sturgeon has written to the new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, renewing a request for an emergency meeting. In this letter, she calls for the price cap increase to be cancelled immediately and energy prices to be frozen.

She said action on a UK-wide scale is essential to “prevent essential services being squeezed by the cost of heating schools, hospitals,” as well as other community buildings.

Ms Sturgeon also announced that the Scottish Child Payment will be increased to £25 per week from November 14^th 2022 and will open applications for children up to age 16.

There was no mention of extended health and social care workforce measures in the First Minister’s statement made in parliament today. She added that John Swinney will make a budget statement tomorrow.

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