‘‘It’s not much of a surprise, I’m afraid. We’ve kind of got used to it’ said Dr. Leitch.

Following figures released by the national records of Scotland showing a drop in life expectancy for the third year in a row in the country, questions are being raised by health experts as to why this is and how it can be changed. Dr. Jason Leitch, national clinical director of the Scottish government, addressed these worrying figures.

‘Unfortunately, those of us in healthcare and in public health are not entirely surprised by what we saw’.

Figures also showed a persisting disparity in life expectancy, with those in the wealthiest areas of Scotland living longer than those in the least wealthy

‘if you’re in Bridgeton in Glasgow, you’re likely to die younger if you’re in Milngavie’ continued Dr. Leitch

‘It’s really difficult. We have made some progress in that area’

‘That’s partly politics. It’s partly not a health care problem. It’s about how you spend your money, where you build your schools… everything else that supports a local community’

‘It also about how you help people with human behaviours. That might be obestity, that might be smoking and drugs.’

Ian Beattie, head of health and social care at South Lanarkshire council, spoke of the impact of budget constraints on local authorities’ ability to fight this decrease in life expectancy.

‘It limits our capacity and our reach. We find ways to work evermore effeciently. But clearly financial restrictions are a limiting factor’

Questions are being raised as to factoring in people’s ability to make their own lifestyle decisions, whilst balancing this with public health authorities ability to increase life expectancy. Dr. Leitch commented further:

‘It’s a difficult question. Most public health speakers, such as me, tend towards the interventionist side of that question.’

‘The way the world works, you have to intervene in order to help’

‘Lets not pretend, that organisations that produce chocolate bars and ice creams and obesogenic environments are not intervening in our society. They are. They’re putting those choices front and centre at tills, for kids to buy. They sell to kids outside schools. And that’s ok. But we shouldn’t then be criticised for saying were going to intervene too. We’re going to say ‘No you’ve got to label your food properly.’

‘Minimum unit pricing is the classic example of a government intervention that was controversial for the industry but is actually life saving. We know from the evidence around the world and now in scotland, it saves lives.’

‘Im an Interventionist.’ continued Dr. Leitch. ‘Speak to people as adults, but yes, the government and the health system has to intervene to reduce the obesogenic environment.’

Kerri major, a dietician in London, highlighted the need for government support in order to reverse this trend of decreasing life expectancy:

‘I don’t think we’re fighting a losing battle. There’s unfortunately a lot more work that needs to be done from support from government.

This report, coming after the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdown, questions have been raised as to the coronaviruses impact and the government response as further addressed by Dr Leitch.

‘I think that when the dust settles and the history is written, I think covid affected people unequally and our response affected people unequally. And our response affected people unequally, inevitably. And we tried our best for that not to happen. I don’t think there was any way of avoiding it entirely.’

Concerns now turn to the future of life expectancy in Scotland as to whether this trend will continue or indeed, reverse.

‘Its difficult. I think some things are in our favour. We have research and we understand behaviour well. We have things that work’ Said Dr. Leitch. ‘Some things are against us. The trends don’t look great and our behaviours are worsening’.

‘Although if you told me when I was your age that we would ban smoking in public places, we would have a minimum unit price for alcohol, I wouldn’t have believed you.

‘So there are things you can do. We just have to find what they are. Then we have to talk to the public meaningfully in an adult way so that they can change their behaviours.’