Community Engagement

Supporting the engagement of people and communities in shaping health and care services in Scotland

What We Do

Community Engagement

We believe people and communities should be able to use their skills and experience to design and improve the health and care services that matter to them.

People should also have the opportunity to work together with the organisations that provide those services. We work with policy makers and service providers to ensure that people and communities are involved in planning and developing local health and care services.

Previously known as the Scottish Health Council, we launched in April 2020 with a focus on:

  • best practice for engaging with individuals and communities to shape local services and influence national policy
  • equality and human rights to ensure everyone’s voice is heard
  • collaborating and working in partnership, and
  • sharing learning.

Citizens' Panel report published

We have published the report of the sixth survey of our Citizens' Panel. We asked questions about antibiotic resistance, access to and use of antibiotics, self-limiting infections and the impact of public health campaigns targeted at managing common infections.

Sixth Panel Report Sixth Panel Report

Engaging Differently

Lockdown and physical distancing have created a challenge for traditional ways of engaging with people. How can we adapt so that community engagement remains possible and meaningful?

Engaging Differently Engaging Differently

Virtual Visiting

We're supporting NHS boards to introduce technology that will allow people to stay in contact with friends and family who are in hospital.

Virtual Visiting Virtual Visiting

COVID-19: our response

We are now restarting some programmes of work which were paused at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our response to COVID-19 Our response to COVID-19

Volunteering and COVID-19

How our Volunteering in NHS Scotland Programme is responding to COVID-19

Programme response to COVID-19 Programme response to COVID-19