The Health Foundation has announced that it is setting up a new Policy Research Unit in Scotland with a focus on improving health and reducing inequalities, following the publication of the Leave no one behind report, which brought together evidence of trends in health inequalities and wider determinants.
The review highlighted three areas “of particular concern”, including drug-related deaths, inequalities in the health and experiences of infants and children, and health and socioeconomic outcomes among young and middle-aged men.
The Foundation is offering £1.2 million in grant funding to set up and run the unit to develop and deliver a three-year plan. Expected to launch formally in 2024, the unit will focus on two key areas – “providing an independent and critical voice in relation to improving health and health inequalities policy in Scotland”, and “working with people involved in policy delivery to enable the development of practical and credible solutions to the implementation gap between policy intent and the experience on the ground”.
“Experienced policy research organisations” are being invited to apply for the £1.2 million in funding through an online portal, which will close on Wednesday 27 September.
In other policy research news, the NIHR will be granting 20 new Policy Research Units (PRUs) across the country a share of £100 million from the Institute’s Policy Research Programme, as part of efforts to tackle key health and social care issues.
In health inequality in Scotland, a new research project has looked to build an understanding of the effects of discrimination on women’s health.
To learn more about the Health Foundation’s policy research unit, please click here.
