"The Government will
set up four health demonstration projects - 'Starting
Well'; 'Healthy Respect'; 'The Heart of Scotland'; and
'The Cancer Challenge."
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| Chapter
7 Health
Demonstration Projects |
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| 111. The
challenges involved in working together for a healthier
Scotland and reducing inequalities in health can be
daunting. We need test beds for action. Therefore, in
addition to working on a broad front to improve life
circumstances and foster healthy lifestyles, the
Government will establish 4 health demonstration projects
to give focus to initiatives directed at securing
sustained improvement in the health and well-being of our
children, safeguarding the sexual health of our young
people, and addressing the ravages caused by Scotland's
two principal killing diseases, coronary heart disease
and cancer. |
| 112. The
Government will make available £15m to fund 4 health
demonstration projects to be selected on the basis of
bids from local interests. |
| |
- "Starting
Well"
will focus on the promotion of
health and protection from harm in the period
leading up to birth and throughout the first 5
years of childhood.
- "Healthy
Respect" will foster responsible
sexual behaviour on the part of Scotland's young
people with emphasis on the avoidance of unwanted
teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted
disease.
- "The
Heart of Scotland" will focus
on the prevention of heart disease, recognising
that many of the measures likely to be used (eg
healthy diet, exercise and avoidance of tobacco)
will help to reduce the incidence of cancers and
strokes.
- "The
Cancer Challenge" will
add a screening programme for the early detection
of colorectal cancer to existing screening
programmes (for breast and cervical cancer) and
take forward the new measures to combat the
cancer-promoting effects of tobacco smoking.
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| Key Principles |
113. Bids have already been invited to establish
a Scottish demonstration project to evaluate screening
for colorectal cancer (as discussed in Chapter 5,
paragraph 66). Guidance will be issued shortly detailing
the scope of the remaining 3 projects and bids will then
be invited. Importance will be attached to the following
factors:
- emphasis on reducing
inequalities in health and tackling adverse life
circumstances
- getting health high
on political, organisational, professional and
public agendas
- a broad view of
health to include well-being, fitness and
self-perceived health
- appropriate health
promotion packages involving health education,
policies and supporting services and amenities
- communication and
partnership working, within and across sectors
and between levels
- community
participation
- blending
evidence-based practice with steps that break new
ground
- process and outcome
evaluation with rapid dissemination of lessons
learned
- combined urban and
rural elements
- strong field
collaboration with other local programmes that
share goals such as Social Inclusion Partnerships
and New Community Schools.
|
| 114. A
multi-sectoral group will provide an overview, identify
implications for national policy, and develop the
"learning and teaching" role of the projects.
It will report to the Ministerial Group described in
paragraphs 124 and 125. |
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| Starting Well |
115. The potential aims of this project include:
- the promotion of
family health by encouraging and supporting
parents
- encouraging good
nutrition before and during pregnancy, and
through breastfeeding
- establishing early
tastes and preferences that lead towards a
balanced diet for life
- protecting the
unborn, babies and children from the effects of
adult smoking
- encouraging safe
physical activity
- reducing injuries and
violence to children
- addressing the health
requirements of children with special needs,
including those from minority ethnic groups and
disabled children
- promoting dental and
oral health and hygiene
- developing early
social skills that will foster positive mental
health
- effective and
innovative use of health services and health
professionals to promote the health and
development of children
- linking health and
other services such as Family Centres, childcare
services, social work, employment and education.
|
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| Healthy Respect |
116. The special focus of this project will be
to promote sexual health, prevent sexually transmitted
diseases, and reduce the numbers of unwanted pregnancies,
especially among teenagers. It will draw on experience in
other parts of the world and build on the SNAP report on
teenage pregnancy in Scotland. Health promoting schools
will offer a focus, with a wider stress on strengthening
parenting skills and social inclusion. The project might
develop transferable measures, for example, to:
- nurture good
inter-personal relationships and respect for self
- develop a climate in
which sex and sexuality can be discussed openly
and without embarrassment
- encourage responsible
attitudes to sex on the part of young people
- reduce the number of
pregnancies in teenage girls
- help adolescents and
adults avoid unwanted/unplanned pregnancies
- reduce the spread of
sexually transmitted infections, especially HIV
infection and chlamydia (with its attendant risks
of gynaecological disease and infertility)
- discourage coercive
or manipulative sexual behaviour.
|
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| The Heart of Scotland |
117. In this project the special aim will be to
drive down Scotland's rate of heart disease. Linked
objectives could include:
- reducing deaths and
illness from heart disease in every age range
- promoting
non-smoking, eating for health, active living and
a sensible approach to drinking alcohol
- recognising and
treating high blood pressure
- promoting a culture
of well-being
- enhancing motivation,
knowledge and skills for protective steps and
behaviours
- helping people with
existing disease to reduce the risk of
progression or recurrence
- ensuring accessible
preventive health services and amenities
- improving
rehabilitation services for those who have
suffered heart disease.
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Action
- The
Government will set up 4 health demonstration
projects - "Starting Well";
"Healthy Respect"; "The Heart of
Scotland"; and "The Cancer
Challenge".
- A
national group will oversee and co-ordinate the
projects, drawing together lessons learned and
optimising the national benefits of the
initiative as a whole..
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