Directorate of Public Health

• Substance use - drugs, alcohol and tobacco
• Child poverty and the cost of living crisis
• Public mental health
• Nutrition and healthy weight
• Climate change and sustainability
• Prevention of infectious diseases and other hazards to public health in the community
• Screening
• Blood Borne Viruses and Sexual Health
• Health and Work
• Oral Health
• Physical Activity
• Early Years and Young People
• Health Intelligence
• Healthcare Services Public Health

Director of Public Health Annual Report 2023

The Director of Public Health's Annual Report outlines the current and projected characteristics of the Tayside population, key health and ill health metrics, and risk factors which can be influenced to determine the likelihood and cause of disease.

It has been designed as a reference document summarising current epidemiological trends, to inform health and social care planning and targeting of resource to greatest impact.

Action being taken by the specialty of Public Health in each of the areas outlined above is detailed in papers presented to the Public Health Committee of Tayside NHS Board.
 
The DPH Annual Report details that life expectancy across Scotland, including Tayside, is stalling and starting to decrease in areas such as Dundee.  To quote Professor Sir Michael Marmot in relation to the same observations in England “This is shocking…. Put simply, if health has stopped improving it is a sign that society has stopped improving.”

The impact of socioeconomic factors are borne out starkly in Dundee, with men living in the most deprived areas expected to live, on average, 14 years fewer than men living in the least deprived areas.  The socioeconomic context in which people live is one of the most significant drivers of health and wellbeing and, very sadly, with the cost of living crisis being experienced, this is only set to worsen health further and widen inequalities.

Substance use (drugs, alcohol and tobacco) together with poor mental health are the largest drivers of premature mortality in people living in greatest deprivation and trends, whilst accentuated in Dundee, can be seen across all three local authority areas in Tayside.

Readers should also be aware of the looming challenge of climate change which has the potential of having a catastrophic impact on all of our health if action is not taken now to reverse current trends.

Prevention of disease and early interventions are critical to protecting health, improving wellbeing and ensuring health and social care services continue to have capacity to deliver the best possible care.  Creating change and ensuring everyone is supported to achieve the best possible health and wellbeing must continue to be all of our priority for best population health gain.