Social Issues in the UK Health and Wealth Inequalities National Qualifications

Government Responses to Heatlh Inequalities ‘The Government, not the individual, is responsible for ensuring people are healthy’ Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give reasons to back up your point of view.

Today we will Outline which groups try to tackle health inequalities in Scotland. List and explain what the Scottish Government have introduced to try and tackle health inequalities.

I can… Create a mind map which shows what the Scottish Government have done to tackle health inequalities. In pairs classify which initiatives have been the most affective and why.

The Scottish Parliament As health is a devolved issue, most of the policies affecting the health of people in Scotland are decided by the Scottish Parliament. In 2008, the Scottish Government introduced its Equally- Well Policy. It focuses on young children as health problems that start then can last a lifetime. It aims to tackle the ‘big killer’ diseases: heart-disease and cancer. Reduce the problems caused by drugs and alcohol.

Groups that tackle health inequalities The Voluntary Sector Local Authorities The Scottish Parliament Copy the diagram below The private Sector

Task 1: The Scottish Parliament Scottish Parliament initiatives to tackle health inequalities In pairs, produce a diagram which outlines some of the things that the Scottish Parliament has done in an attempt to reduce health inequalities in Scotland.

You will now be presented with a variety of schemes that the Scottish Parliament has introduced to try to tackle health inequalities. As we go through them, add to your diagram. Scottish Parliament initiatives to tackle health inequalities

Government Responses to Health Inequalities The Smoking Ban Hoped it would dramatically reduce health inequalities in Scotland. A study of bar workers, using saliva, lung function and air quality tests, showed their respiratory health had greatly improved after the laws came in, thanks to the reduction in exposure to second hand smoke Estimated that the ban could save 600 lives every year. The ban was popular with British adults when it was implemented - and a recent poll of more than 12,000 people found that 78% of adults still support it

Abolition of Prescription Charges 2011 ‘Prescription charges are a tax on ill health, and can be a barrier to good health for too many people’ It will make a significant contribution to achieving a healthier Scotland. Cost will no longer discourage the sick from consulting their doctor.

Tackling Alcohol Abuse ‘It is no coincidence that as the affordability of alcohol has plummeted in recent decades, alcohol- related deaths, disease, crime and disorder have spiralled. It cannot be right that a man can exceed his weekly recommended alcohol limit for less than £3.50’

Tackling Alcohol Abuse Minimum Pricing of Alcohol (2012) Benefits- People who are drinking at potentially harmful levels are most likely to benefit from the effects of minimum pricing. Research shows that people on a low income or who are living in deprived areas are more likely to suffer from a long term illness as a result of drinking too much. People who live in the most deprived areas of Scotland are six times more likely to die of an alcohol-related death than those in the least deprived areas.

Free School Meals All Scottish P1-P3 pupils will get free school meals from January 2015, First Minister Alex Salmond has announced. He said the move, affecting 165,000 youngsters, would boost health and was worth £330 a year for each child to families. Will remove any possibility of free meals being a source of stigma during the first years of a child’s schooling; it will improve health and wellbeing. Diet/Obesity The Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Act – aims to put healthy eating at the heart of each school’s activities. Giving young people balanced school meals. Banned “junk food” from school cafeterias. Introduce healthier food menus in schools. Stop the sale of sweets, salty snacks and soft drinks inside school. Set a legal limit on the age at which children are allowed out of school at lunch time. Aimed to establish uniform standards for all food and drink in school

Task 2: How Successful? What do you think? In pairs, go through your diagram and ranks the initiatives in order of effect you think they have been. You must provide reasons for your choice: 1- most effective 5-least effective

1. Describe, in detail, two ways in which the Government has tried to improve the health of people in Scotland. (4) 2.Explain, in detail, the ways in which health in Scotland can be improved by government policies and individual actions. (6) Specimen Questions

Was I successful? Create a mind map which shows what the Scottish Government have done to tackle health inequalities. In pairs classify which initiatives have been the most affective and why.