Scotland's Population Health Framework

Our Vision for the Future

Good physical and mental health and wellbeing enables us to lead purposeful lives, to build and maintain relationships with others, to contribute meaningfully to society and create a strong and sustainable economy. Improved population health is fundamental to making progress on Scotland’s National Performance Framework – our approach to national wellbeing.

Population health is defined as an approach aimed at improving the health of an entire population. It is about improving the physical and mental health outcomes and wellbeing of people within and across a defined local, regional or national population, while reducing health inequalities. It includes action to reduce the occurrence of ill health, action to deliver appropriate health and care services and action on the wider determinants of health. It requires working with communities and partner agencies.^[3]

Over the next ten years, we want to ensure the social, economic and physical environments in which we are born, grow up, live, work and age help to create improved health and wellbeing. The Population Health Framework will complement work being taken forward through the Health & Social Care Service Renewal Framework, to make a clear contribution to realising our health and social care vision: A Scotland where people live longer, healthier and more fulfilling lives.

Our vision^[4] is supported by four key areas of work: a focus on prevention and early intervention, maximising access and providing quality services, all underpinned by a person-centred approach.5