Scotland’s health is improving, but we continue to face significant public health challenges. There is widespread agreement that we need to change the way we do public health in Scotland to meet these challenges.

The Scottish Government established an expert Public Health Review group in 2015 to explore the issues.

The report of the review highlighted the need for 

• more clarity on organisational roles
• stronger leadership around public health
• a public health strategy for Scotland with clear priorities
• greater partnership work across all sectors.

This led to the development of a programme of public health reform.