Topical Question: How can we improve Scotland's health?

The government has put preventing disease at the heart of NHS reform.

We asked MSPs: How would you improve the nation’s health and how do you approach your own health in terms of diet and exercise?

Joe Fagan, Labour MSP
Getting elected to the Scottish Parliament has not been conducive to a healthy lifestyle! Normally I keep active by visiting the gym across the road from me. It’s a council-owned gym at the John Wright’s Sports Centre – a good community gym where the staff know the regulars and look out for them.

The best thing we can do to improve Scotland’s health is to achieve that system-wide shift towards prevention we have been promised since the Christie Commission in 2011. Eighty per cent of what affects someone’s health happens outside the NHS. We can liberate public services from the costs of poverty and inequality by tackling Scotland’s health inequalities at source.

Amanda Bland, Reform MSP
For me, one of the best forms of exercise is also one of the simplest: walking. No gym membership, no lycra, no complicated equipment – just put your shoes on and get out the door. We’re lucky to have some brilliant parks, countryside and coastline, so why not make the most of them? I’ve also got two dogs, who are probably the toughest personal trainers you could ask for. They don’t care if it’s raining, freezing or I’ve decided I’ll “definitely go tomorrow” – they’re going. End of discussion. Honestly, getting out walking with them does me the world of good; it keeps me moving, clears my head and is good for my mental health, too. We don’t always need complicated solutions to keep ourselves healthier. Sometimes it really is as simple as opening the front door, grabbing the dog – or just yourself – and going for a walk.

Andrew Baxter, Liberal Democrat MSP
I entered parliament determined not to succumb to the endless supply of canapés and wine apparently essential to Scottish public life. So 
far, mostly, so good.

Over the past year I’ve lost four-and-a-half stone and feel immeasurably healthier. Three meals a day, less alcohol and walking whenever I can. Gone are the days of jumping in the car, stopping at the next petrol station for a meal deal, then still having dinner when I got home.
Scotland has an unhealthy relationship with both food and alcohol, but politicians lecturing people rarely changes behaviour. We need to make healthier choices easier and change our collective mindset.

We should also be open-minded about weight-loss drugs. For many people they can transform not just weight but their relationship with food. Wider NHS access carries a cost, but preventing diabetes, heart disease and other conditions could deliver substantial long-term health and economic benefits.

Dawn Black, SNP MSP
I think to have a Scotland that works for everyone is to encourage people to look after their own health. I’ve never really been one for the gym; I’m sure many people are in the same boat. But I live in the countryside, so if I’m not in parliament then I’m making the most of this by getting out with the dog. Canvassing and the hilly nature of Edinburgh effectively contributes to this as well. I think the Scottish Government is headed in the right direction by focusing on the youngest members of society because when we create that lifestyle for our children, it becomes second nature in adulthood.

It takes pressure off the NHS when people are fitter, and I’m especially happy to see the promise to prioritise women’s health – for far too long there’s been very little consideration for women’s health, so I look forward to seeing where we go from here.

Claire Baker, Labour MSP
Prevention must mean more than telling people to eat better and exercise more. I’d particularly prioritise keeping girls active as they move through adolescence, because too many drop out of sport and physical activity due to confidence, cost, access or simply feeling sport isn’t for them. The influence of family, social media and wider commentary matters too. Coverage of women’s sport is increasing, but competitive or elite sport isn’t for everyone, and variety and choice can encourage girls to participate and benefit from a range of activities. That needs to continue throughout women’s lives. Family life can leave little time or energy for yourself, while as we get older, strength and mobility become increasingly important. We need open, positive spaces where women of all ages can be active at a time that suits them.

I try to make activity part of my life rather than a chore. I try to run a few mornings before work, do yoga or Pilates, even boxing sometimes. I don’t have a perfect routine – I just try to keep moving and find things I enjoy.

Heather Anderson, SNP MSP
As a member of parliament’s Health, Care and Sport Committee, I am laser-focused on prevention and how we best support organisations providing vital services. I am therefore delighted that the first minister has made this a priority in the Programme for Government.
Measuring the success of prevention can be difficult, but it is crucial to ensuring Scots can live longer, healthier lives.

I have spent the summer visiting and meeting with a range of health professionals and third-sector organisations, many of whom work on prevention and tackling social exclusion. I have witnessed firsthand the incredible work happening in Dundee and across Scotland.

Personally, I love walking. Luckily, Dundee is a very compact city so, as long as you don’t mind hills, you can walk most places. Forty-two per cent of Dundee is also green, open space. Walking, wheeling or cycling in our parks is a great way to de-stress.

Donald MacKinnon, Scottish Labour MSP
I got a bit of a fright over the summer when I attended the RSABI Health Hut at a summer agricultural show in Lewis. The charity, that provides support for farmers and crofters, was getting crofters to do a blood pressure check and I found out that mine could have been better – not what you want to hear.

The helpful nurse doing the health check advised that exercise and diet were the best ways to get on top of this. I’m blaming the switch from the endless miles door knocking on the campaign trail to the Holyrood cafeteria – which didn’t seem to do my waistline any good! I’ve been making an effort to be more active and improve my diet. This weekend’s exercise will include heading to the moor to gather my sheep for dipping. Getting people thinking about their health is key and that’s why projects like the one being undertaken by RSABI are so important.