NHS Health Scotland

NHS Health Scotland is the national health education and promotion agency. A Special Health Board of NHS Scotland, its goal is to improve the health of the nation, via research, planning, programme implementation and evaluation.

NHS Health Scotland provides leadership and helps to coordinate the work of other bodies, principally the 14 regional NHS Boards, in improving the health of the population and reducing health inequality.

NHS Health Scotland was established on 1 April 2003, by the merger of the Health Education Board for Scotland (HEBS) and the Public Health Institute of Scotland (PHIS). It employs about 280 staff.

The work of the agency is focussed on:

1. child oral health
2. child healthy weight
3. alcohol brief interventions
4. suicide prevention
5. smoking cessation
6. cardiovascular health