Chris Creegan is Chair of the Health Foundation’s Expert Advisory Group

THE latest figures released by National Records of Scotland reveal that life expectancy at birth in Scotland fell again last year. Even in the current fast-moving news agenda, this should give us all pause for thought.

The statistics show that average life expectancy at birth for males is 76.6 years and 80.8 years for females, a fall of 11 weeks and eight weeks, respectively. These figures continue the decrease of the previous year, the sharpest since 1980-82.

That Covid-related deaths contributed significantly to the latest fall is no cause for complacency. Drug-related deaths also contributed to the most recent decline while prior to the pandemic there had been scarcely any improvement overall since around 2012.

Poverty continues to have a marked impact on life expectancy. In Scotland’s most deprived areas, average male life expectancy was 13.7 years lower than in the least deprived areas. For females, the difference was 10.5 years.

This gap has widened in recent years and Scotland has the lowest life expectancy in Western Europe and is falling behind some Eastern European countries.

This is the context in which a review of health inequalities in Scotland, commissioned by the Health Foundation, will be reporting its findings over the coming months.

In parallel, the Scottish Parliament’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee has been conducting its own inquiry. The committee’s report notes the absence of an overarching health inequalities strategy and invites the Scottish Government to set out what steps it intends to take to improve cross-government and cross-sectoral efforts.

No one can be in any doubt about the scale of the challenge – exposed and exacerbated first by the pandemic and now further at risk from the cost of living crisis.

Scotland has seen no shortage of policy ambition over the last two decades. But closing the gap cannot be, and is not, for government alone.

While there are some areas where government and its agencies can lead, it should also be prepared to follow – and work alongside industry, civil society, and local communities. It therefore matters significantly what people across Scotland think.

In contrast to the life expectancy figures, British Social Attitudes data released on the same day offers cause for optimism that a radical approach would be popular.

The data shows that 60 per cent of people in Scotland recognise that poverty is a major cause of poor health while 64% think it is unfair that wealthier people can afford better health care.

The Health Foundation’s review will capture the story of public health and socio-economic trends since devolution. It will also draw on dialogue with key actors from across sectors – and the public.

The immediate economic fallout from the actions of the UK Government is focusing minds right now. But tackling the growing health inequalities gap is more complicated still – and a healthier nation is essential for economic recovery.

There is no magic wand, but we do have knowledge and experience of what can work if we are bold enough to commit to a holistic long-term response.