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Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership - Public Health Update

Argyll and Bute Council · 7 November 2023
Back to Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group — 7 November 2023 and its agenda

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Argyll & Bute Community Planning
Partnership 
Area Community Planning Group 
Partnership update
Date: October 2023 
Partner update – Public Health 
The paper provides an update on ongoing wellbeing and prevention activity
overseen and delivered by the HSCP Public Health Team in Argyll and Bute.
Alcohol and Drug Partnership – Scottish Government Consultation
The Scottish Government consultation on Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) is now live.
Consultation closes on 22-11-23. The Scottish Government introduced a policy of
MUP in 2018 which is subject to a Sunset clause, meaning the policy will expire
unless there is agreement for it to continue.  
https://www.gov.scot/policies/alcohol-and-drugs/minimum-unit-
pricing/#:~:text=Minimum%20unit%20pricing%20set%20a,higher%20the%20minimu
m%20unit%20price   
Following the Scottish Government reporting in September on the operation and
effect of MUP, consultation their proposal to increase the price to 65p is now open. 
Scottish Government Reporting shows that MUP resulted in an estimated 13.4%
reduction in alcohol deaths and a reduction in alcohol related hospital admissions,
compared to what might have happened if MUP had not been in place.  
The Scottish Government proposes setting a price of 65ppu (pence per unit), to
maintain the value (due partly to inflation) of the unit price and would likely achieve
greater public health benefits than have been seen at 50ppu. The Scottish
Government is therefore proposing continuing MUP and setting the minimum unit
price at 65ppu.  
A modelling report from the University of Sheffield modelling report shows that high
inflation and the pandemic have eroded the effectiveness of MUP in Scotland, and
that increasing the MUP level would lead to greater health benefits.  
The analysis shows that heavier drinkers increased their drinking during the
pandemic, which they estimate will lead to a marked increase in alcohol harms. For
example, even if alcohol consumption returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2022, an
estimated 663 more people will die and there will be 8,653 additional hospital
admissions linked to alcohol, costing the NHS £10.9 million, by 2040.

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This report provides us with further evidence of the positive impact of MUP in saving
lives and the need to increase the MUP to counter balance the effect of inflation and
mitigate the negative impact of the pandemic into the future. 
The Scottish Government have published a further report on public attitudes of MUP.
A survey was conducted by Ipsos Mori in July 2023 with over 1000 adults. Overall,
people were slightly more likely to be in favour of MUP (43%) than against it (38%).
The Alcohol and Drug Partnership would encourage you all to take part in the
consultation below and submit your feedback. The link to the consultation is: 
MUP Public Consultation (www.gov.scot) 
The consultation asks just three questions: 
Do you think Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) should continue? Yes/No 
If MUP continues, do you agree with the proposed Minimum Unit Price of 65 pence?
Yes/No 
We invite comments on: 
the Scottish Ministers’ proposal to continue MUP, and 
the proposed Minimum Unit Price of 65 pence. 
For more information on the impact assessment of MUP please click on this attached
link 
http://www.gov.scot/ISBN/9781835213742    
Alcohol and Drug Partnership Funding Announcement
The Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) are excited to announce grant funding to
support the delivery of alcohol and drugs prevention work in local
communities. Prevention and Early Intervention is one pillar of the ADP 2023
Refresh Strategy. The ADP Action Plan identifies that working with partners and
communities across Argyll & Bute is needed to make prevention and diversionary
activities available for all age groups and address alcohol and drug related
stigma. Argyll and Bute ADP are therefore delighted to have offered up to £5000 of
grant funding for communities to support the development of this work aimed at
reducing harm caused by alcohol and drugs and improving life choices.  The ADP
thanks the Third Sector Interface who have supported the application process for
these grants. Grants will be processed and awarded by the end of December 2023
to all successful applicants.  
Coproduction – Training the Trainers

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Two members of the Public Health team undertook a three day training course in
Coproduction in Inveraray in September. The course was supported by the Living
Well Board. The course provided participants with a good grounding in the
theoretical grounding of coproduction, based on the academic works of Nobel Prize
winner Elinor Ostrom and philosopher Michael Polanyi. But theory, as we all know,
often fails when we encounter real life. Which is why the training the trainers course
equipped participants with a framework to support others to recognise the
coproduction that they are doing now, and to identify how more could be done. The
training encouraged a different way of thinking about our relationships with others in
our communities, whether our community is where we live or the complex human
network that we interact with every day. Those trained will be able to utilise their
knowledge in their day to day work, as well as being able to identify core concepts in
coproduction and design courses for those they work with.
Good Conversations Training
The Public Health team supported the provision of Good Conversations training, this
took place over 3 days throughout August and September. The course was attended
by a range of professionals from the NHS, Council and Third Sector organisations. 
The Good Conversations course explored why personal outcomes and asset based
approaches are a central feature of Person-Centred Rehabilitation and Supported
Self-Management. It covered a core set of skills which enable practitioners to
orientate towards what matters most to people, what they want to achieve from
support and how to harness the role of the person, their strengths, social networks
and community supports, with a particular focus on supporting people living complex
and challenged lives. The skills set is useful during initial engagement type
conversations, reviews and during ongoing everyday conversations while working
with people that serve to create a culture of self-management.  This is one of the
areas of work for the Living Well Strategy Board.
Adult Health Profiles
The Adult Health Profiles produced by the Health Intelligence team were discussed
at an earlier ACPG. The profile reports present an overview of indicators relevant to
the health of adults and older people in each partnership. The information presented
covers a range of topics relating to health status (morbidity and mortality) and health
harms across the life course. The profiles are published at: 
Oban, Lorn and The Isles:
https://www.nhshighland.scot.nhs.uk/media/hwwb0yaa/demography-
obanlornandtheisles-2022.pdf 
Mid Argyll Kintyre and Islay:
https://www.nhshighland.scot.nhs.uk/media/xqdebbhr/demography-
midargyllkintyreandislay-2022.pdf

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Bute and Cowal: 
https://www.nhshighland.scot.nhs.uk/media/l2paf142/demography-buteandcowal-
2022.pdf 
Helensburgh and Lomond:
https://www.nhshighland.scot.nhs.uk/media/rlphw0nn/demography-
helensburghandlomond-2022.pdf 
The information and data in the profiles are a safe evidence based resource which
can be utilised by partners in a variety of ways such as to inform targeting of
services, support or aid in funding applications.
Child Health Profile Development
Following positive feedback about the Adult Health Profiles, the Health Intelligence
team are developing profile reports for children and young people. This will include
indicators relevant to the health of children and young people in each partnership.
The profiles will be published on the NHS Highland website, the estimated date for
publishing these is mid November. The profile locations will be shared at the next
ACPG.  
REPORT AUTHOR AND CONTACT
Author Names: Rory Munro (Health Improvement Lead).  
Email: nhsh.abhealthimprovement@nhs.scot