Chief Medical Officer - annual report: 2022

Foreword

CMO Introduction, Annual Report 2021-2022

The challenges in delivering healthcare sustainably have been compounded over the last year. The world has been made more uncertain by accumulating circumstances with the potential to have an impact on the health and wellbeing of people everywhere. It’s impossible not to be concerned by these uncertainties and the instability people are facing, or saddened by global events that are leading to such significant direct and indirect consequences for people’s lives and security.

In April, the WHO stated that there had been more than 100 attacks on healthcare facilities in Ukraine since February^[1]. We must remember that this is not the only zone of conflict across the world where these type of incidents have occurred, but they have been particularly visible to us. My thoughts are with the people affected by ongoing crises across the globe, and those who courageously continue to deliver healthcare in the most challenging settings.

Last year, I spoke of the immense challenges that our health system was facing and how they had been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. I also spoke of how important Realistic Medicine had become in helping us overcome those challenges.

While life for many of us is becoming less restricted, COVID-19 has not gone away and the pandemic will continue to impact here and in other countries for some time yet. COVID-19 continues to place significant strain on the health of Scotland’s people, our workforce and our health and care system

This is my second annual report as Chief Medical Officer for Scotland. I’d like it to be of interest to everyone, but hope that it will be of particular interest to healthcare professionals here in Scotland.

This year, I focus on five key areas:

1. Collaborating for a healthier, fairer Scotland

2. Personalising care through understanding

3. Innovating for a more sustainable system

4. Supporting our workforce

5. The health of our nation

These topics are of great importance to me.

The inequalities exacerbated by this pandemic continue to run deep in our society; life expectancy in Scotland has stalled. It is widely recognised that Scotland’s health and the inequalities that exist across our society are deeply intertwined. This must be the foundation on which our emerging strategies are built on. We must continue to collaborate, innovate and improve access to services, if we are to improve the lives of people living in our most disadvantaged, most vulnerable communities.

Encouragingly, there are already excellent examples across Scotland of good practice in tackling inequalities. In my report, I highlight just a few of the approaches that can help us create the healthier, fairer Scotland we all wish to see.

As we emerge from the effects of the COVID-19 emergency, many people are waiting longer than previously to access treatment. It is, however, clear that practising Realistic Medicine continues to make a positive impact on the people we care for, and remains more important than ever in addressing these challenges. I am convinced that by listening to what matters to people and involving them in decisions about their care, we can deliver personalised care they really value. I have provided what I think are some very positive examples of how colleagues are innovating and improving access to care for people who need our help the most.

Of course we cannot deliver better care without looking after our workforce. I recognise the immense pressure that you have been under, particularly over the last two years. The dedication you have shown and the sacrifices that you have made to help ensure that people continued to receive the best possible care have been humbling.

I hope that you recognise the importance of the issues I have described in this report and that you will join me in providing collective leadership to overcome them. I would be delighted to hear any comments or suggestions you have on how we can further embed Realistic Medicine and help deliver careful and kind care for everyone.

“We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”
Martin Luther King