Date: 29 September 1999
“The National Health Service contributes only in a small way to the overall health of the nation.”
This will be the premise on which Professor Graeme Catto, Central Vice Principal at the University of Aberdeen and Chief Scientist at the Scottish Office, will base his address to the Royal Society at 6.30pm on Wednesday 29 September, Scottish Gallery of Modern Art, Belford Road, Edinburgh.
Professor Catto will go on to argue that the health of the nation is largely based on other socio-economic macro factors, including the country’s economy, social deprivation, the boundaries between health and social security, transport and health. “Many of the targets set by recent White Papers have less to do with medical care than with co-ordination of Government policy across a range of departments.”
Scotland’s health record remains poor. Infant mortality rates are by no means the best in the world and life expectation poorer than many countries. Scotland remains at the top of the league table for deaths from cardiovascular diseases. Ranking in terms of life expectancy for women has fallen from second place in 1960 to seventh in 1989 with similar figures for men. The country spends a relatively small proportion of its GDP on health.
All of these problems are increased with social deprivation. The figures may be difficult to explain but are quite stark with increased mortality from cancer of the lung, cancer of the stomach and cancer of the cervix. Overall survival is again related to social class.
Prof Catto will also discuss what the future might hold for Scotland. “With our Parliament now responsible for health and with a budget of around £4.6billion there is growing public interest in how healthcare is to be developed and delivered.
“Pharmaceutical companies spend around 18% of their funds in Scotland while the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council spends £125Million on research annually and the Agriculture Department around £80 million.
“As ever, Scotland will succeed only by ensuring the highest quality research and by encouraging research councils and the large medical research charities in Europe to support our high quality research programme. Without this the Health Service, which still has the support of the public at large, will fail to meet our expectations in the coming century.”