Speaking at Holyrood magazine’s ‘ Scotland’s Population, Health Challenges,’ conference in Glasgow today, Glyn Hawker, Scottish Organiser for Bargaining and Equal Pay, UNISON, will say:

“Despite the increase in overall life expectancy and the reduction in some of the major killer diseases, the health gap between those in deprivation and those living in comfort is static and even showing signs of increasing, and the demographic challenges of an aging population loom large in challenging our attempts to improve the nations health.

 “There are improvements in some killer diseases like coronary heart disease and cancer, but life expectancy remains lower in Scotland than Europe on average by almost a year for men - and almost two years for women.”

In order to address these inequalities, Hawker will call for governments at all levels to use “progressive” taxation and well-funded public services to reduce the growing gap between the poor and the rich.

In addition, she will argue that the NHS in Scotland must remain publicly owned and democratically controlled.  

She will say: “Finally, the Scottish NHS in its 60th year, is developing a model of co-operation which is an ideal to enable joint work with other agencies and tackle the whole social environment, so that we can finally begin to close the 7.5 year mortality gap between well-off areas and deprived areas.” 

For more information on Holyrood magazine conferences click here: http://conferences.holyrood.com/