Health and Wellbeing Benefits Generated by the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland

The Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE) is a valued and trusted bridge between the public sector, the third sector, and people who access health and social care services, working to embed equality and human rights in health and social care services and policy making. In 2023, BiGGAR Economics was commissioned to assess the contribution it makes to Scotland’s wellbeing economy, focussing on the social, economic and fiscal impacts it supports.

For every £1 received in core grant funding, the ALLIANCE generated health and wellbeing benefits worth £5.39

The ALLIANCE delivers a stream of work programmes and activities that generate positive impacts for individuals and society, including:

• improving health and wellbeing outcomes
• reducing the cost of health and social care
• generating economic activity
• wider, non-quantifiable benefits
• contribution to the wellbeing economy.

Key Findings

Where possible, impacts were quantified or monetised. This involved the use of Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) and Wellbeing Adjusted Life Years (WELLBYs). It was estimated that, in 2022, the ALLIANCE supported:

• health and wellbeing benefits of at least £26.6 million, arising from better health and social care outcomes, jobs and volunteering opportunities
• cost savings to the NHS of at least £0.8 million, resulting from fewer GP appointments and reduced emergency admissions
• 160 jobs and £7.7 million GVA across Scotland, and a fiscal contribution of £1.0 million.

The work of the ALLIANCE goes far beyond that which can be quantified, generating a stream of wider societal benefits that are as equally important and substantial. This includes its close links to decision makers and the development of a person-centred approach to policy and the health and social care system in Scotland. The work of the ALLIANCE nurtures this development by providing the connections, skills and capabilities for the system to function effectively.

Community Links Worker Programme

As part of the analysis, the impacts included the Community Links Worker Programme delivered by the ALLIANCE. This programme aims to mitigate the impact of the social determinants of health in people living in areas of high deprivation, providing help and support for issues affecting health and wellbeing, such as poverty, loneliness, housing, debt and abuse. The impact of this programme is substantial, generating large health and wellbeing benefits for those supported.

We were delighted to hear that our work supported the ALLIANCE to communicate the impact of this programme to decision makers and that additional funding for the Glasgow Community Links Workers Programme has been secured.