Health and social care - service renewal framework 2025-2035: Fairer Scotland Duty summary

Fairer Scotland Duty – Service Renewal Framework

Title of policy, strategy or programme

Service Renewal Framework 2025 - 20235

Summary of aims and expected outcomes of strategy, proposal, programme or policy

The Service Renewal Framework (SRF) is a reform initiative aimed at transforming health and social care in Scotland, promoting a vision where individuals lead longer, healthier lives. It outlines five key priorities for change over three, five, and ten years, emphasizing a preventive and community-centered approach.

The SRF is one of three publications that set out the framework for this reform. The SRF builds on the Operational Improvement Plan (focused on short term improvements) and the Population Health Framework (focused on the long term).

The SRF is targeted at the medium and long term changes necessary to improve population health outcomes while ensuring that the pressure on public finances remains sustainable

Summary of evidence

For many in Scotland, their socio-economic standing shapes their journey through the health and social care system. Evidence highlights persistent inequalities in health outcomes across Scotland, often intrinsically linked to the underlying social and economic conditions in which people live.

This systemic challenge has been described as the "inverse care law" – those with the greatest need for services are frequently the least able to obtain them. Crucially, these health inequalities are not confined to those in the most deprived areas, as many poor people live in wealthier areas.

Summary of assessment findings

The overarching aim of the SRF is to to set the Scottish Government’s strategic policy intent for health and social care service reform in the medium to longer term and drive progress towards our vision of a Scotland where people live longer, healthier and fulfilling lives. Healthy life expectancy, alongside other key indicators, will be monitored through a dashboard to track interim progress of population health outcomes and the wider determinants of health. To support this, a detailed approach is being developed to assess progress, incorporating a broader range of measures. This will help identify future challenges and enable further refinement of the framework over time.

The aim of the SRF also recognises the importance of addressing the stark inequalities that persist across different communities. By tackling the socioeconomic determinants of health, such as income, education, housing and access to services, the Framework aims to narrow the gap in life expectancy between the most and least deprived communities.

The Framework will embed equity considerations as part of delivery of each action, by directing action towards areas with the greatest need and applying targeted interventions where necessary. To effectively deliver the aim of the SRF, a robust governance and accountability structure will be required to provide transparent monitoring of the delivery of actions and to drive future collaboration and responsive decision making to emerging needs and challenges.

While the high-level nature of the Framework means it is not yet possible to assess the full impact of each individual action, further impact assessments will be conducted as actions are developed and implemented. This will ensure they are appropriately targeted to those most in need. While the SRF presents a significant opportunity to improve overall health and reduce inequalities, risks must be acknowledged and actively managed to ensure successful implementation.

Sign off

Name: Alice Hall

Job title: Deputy Director, Adult Social Care Local Improvement and Transformation

Date: 10 June 2025