Preventative approaches involve identifying and tackling root causes before negative outcomes occur.
They focus on addressing the underlying causes of health inequalities which lead to unfair and avoidable differences in how long people live, and live in good health.
In September 2025, CHEX, in partnership with other community sector intermediaries and organisations, came together to issue a joint statement on the role prevention plays in tackling Scotland’s growing health inequalities crisis.
In our statement, we called for a clear definition and understanding of what prevention means, a properly resourced third sector that is part of a whole systems approach, and increased urgency in how we tackle the ‘hard-to-do’ parts of policy implementation.
Finding practical and sustainable solutions to the ‘implementation gap’ is essential if we are to translate policy into action that meaningfully improves people’s lives, and addresses the issues that they face every day.
We need a clear definition and understanding of prevention
We need a clear, specific, and consistently applied definition of prevention to see this way of working properly applied across all levels of policy delivery. That means resources being allocated to prevention and the impacts of this approach being measured properly to capture the positive impact.
We must put the hard-to-do parts of policy into practice
Tackling the 'hard-to-do' aspects of policy implementation that take us beyond ambition and into reality. That means proper co-production with communities and the third sector, long-term investment, transparency and accountability, courageous leadership, evidence gathering, and working across silos.
We need a whole system approach with a properly resourced third sector
A sustainably resourced third and community sector that is treated as an equal partner in decision making with a public sector committed to working in, and with, communities. Prevention is complex and requires a whole system approach that includes the public, third and community sector - and those who directly experience health inequalities.
Read the joint statement in full
The statement shares our vision for prevention and recommendations for turning ambitious policy intent into action.
Putting the 'hard-to-do' parts of preventative policy into practice - an updated statement
Ahead of the 2026-27 Scottish Budget, the partners restated the necessary steps required to tackle the ‘hard-to-do’ policy ambitions related to prevention. Finding practical and sustainable solutions to the ‘implementation gap’ is essential if we are to translate policy into action that meaningfully improves people’s lives, and addresses the issues that they face every day.
Resources and case studies
As part of the statement, the partners developed a series of case studies which show what primary, secondary and tertiary preventative approaches look like in action across our networks.
And for those interested in a bit of further reading, we have signposted to some external resources which go into more detail on prevention approaches and the related policy context.