Influencing and engaging

Some of the work we're doing in Scotland

• Ten-year vision for a healthier Scotland – In partnership with global public health specialists, NCD Alliance Scotland has developed a decade-long plan aimed at fostering a healthier and more equitable future for Scotland. A future that is free from the impact of preventable non-communicable diseases. Visit our NCD Alliance Scotland page to find out more.
• Cross Party Group on Heart and Circulatory Disease – As part of the Cross-Party Group, we have supported an inquiry into the implementation of the Scottish Government’s Heart Disease Action Plan. This inquiry consulted clinicians and wider heart disease community to highlight progress and challenges facing heart disease services in Scotland. We continue to work with the Cross-Party Group, Scottish Government and people living with heart disease to support the implementation of the strategy.

• Heart disease action plan – We developed a heart disease plan for Scotland in consultation with people living with heart disease and clinicians, and published our report in 2021. Later that year, the Scottish Government published the Heart Disease Action Plan which had many of the same priorities and actions. We continue to work with the Government, NHS Scotland and people living with heart disease to implement the strategy and improve outcomes for people with heart disease.
• Preventing non-communicable diseases – including heart disease, cancer and stroke, these diseases cause more than half of all deaths in Scotland. But we know many could be prevented by tackling risk factors like obesity, smoking and alcohol consumption, which are highest in our most deprived communities. We are working as a member of NCD Alliance Scotland to make the case for public health action to improve Scotland’s health.
• Women and heart disease - we’re working hard to raise awareness of heart disease in women. Too few are still aware that they are at risk, and too many women who have a heart attack are dying needlessly or recovering poorly because they may not receive the same treatment and care as men. We are working with the Scottish Government to ensure the Women’s Health plan is implemented and that outcomes are improved.
• High blood pressure – around a third of Scots adults have this condition which increases their risk of heart attack and stroke. We’re working with health boards to improve self-management and monitoring and playing a key role in the development of a national programme to tackle Scotland’s ‘silent killer’.
• Cardiac rehabilitation – in partnership with the Scottish Government and health boards, we’re leading the redesign of services to make them more personalised and more effective for individuals who have had a heart attack or other cardiac event.

We all have a part to play in beating heartbreak, and there are a number of ways you can get involved. For example, you can contact your local media to raise awareness of important heart health issues, encourage your local politicians to get involved, or spread the word about our work on social media.

Contact BHF Scotland

Our achievements

With your help, our campaigns have had significant success in Scotland, overcoming challenges, winning awards and bringing about real change.

• Creating a nation of lifesavers – we worked with each of Scotland’s 32 local authorities to make sure that all their secondary school pupils leave with CPR skills to save a life. 

• Organ donation – following a long campaign and sustained pressure, the Scottish Parliament approved moving to an opt-out system. From March 2021, unless people have opted out, they will be considered a possible donor. This change should make more organs available for transplant, saving more lives.

• Bias and Biology – our campaign to tackle the inequalities women with heart disease face in diagnosis, treatment and care was supported by Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer. Our ground-breaking Bias and Biology report was a key part of that work and helped raise awareness of the risk of heart disease among women.

• Holyrood inquiries – we’ve supported the Scottish Parliament’s Cross-Party Group on Heart Disease and Stroke with inquiries into atrial fibrillation and high blood pressure, making recommendations to the Scottish Government on how to make further progress to benefit people living with these conditions.

• Tobacco control –  we've worked hard to help bring about change in this vital area, including banning smoking in cars when children are present, standardised packaging for tobacco products and banning cigarette vending machines.