BSLM’s Manifesto calls on the Scottish Government to embed preventative, person-centred healthcare at the heart of Scotland’s NHS, schools, and communities.

Scotland’s rates of preventable chronic disease are among the highest in Europe. There is a twenty plus year gap in healthy life expectancy between Scotland’s richest and poorest communities1. This is not inevitable.

The Scottish May 2026 Election is our chance to change this. If we stand together we can change the trajectory of Scotland’s healthcare and draw a line under statistics like this.

We at the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine have published a Manifesto for a Healthier Scotland, which sets out eight evidence-informed policy commitments to shift our health system from one that treats disease to one that creates health. It spans prevention in the NHS, nutrition, physical activity, mental health, health inequalities, workforce training and accountability.

View the List of Available References Here

By 2040, we will aim to:

  • Reverse rising rates of type 2 diabetes
  • Reduce cardiovascular mortality
  • Cut obesity prevalence
  • Improve healthy life expectancy
  • Narrow the health gap between richest and poorest communities

We are calling on Scottish MSPs to read the Manifesto – join us at our briefing, and raise its recommendations with the Scottish Government, to commit to prevention as a health policy priority.

Here’s how you can take action:

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References:

[1] Diabetes UK – Number of People with T2 Diabetes in Scotland. [Online]. Available at: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/about-us/news-and-views/increase-diabetes [accessed April 2026]

[2] Public Health Scotland. (2026). Together we can: Our 10-year strategy to 2035. Available at https://publichealthscotland.scot/about-us/what-we-do-and-how-we-work/together-wecan-our-10-year-strategy-to-2035/scotland-s-health-now/impact-economy-and-threats/ [accessed April 2026]