Global health engagement in the Scottish health service: A journey towards global citizenship

Abstract

For most of its history, the contribution of the Scottish health service towards health needs outside of Scotland has been informal, ad hoc, and viewed as incidental to its core functions. A more globalised view is emerging, and in recent years, NHS Scotland has begun formalising the principles and mechanisms by which it will contribute towards health and human flourishing around the world. This article provides a brief historical overview of how Scottish medical personnel became involved in the introduction of Western medicine and public health in less developed countries, originally in parallel with colonial expansion and Christian mission outreaches. Following devolution in 1999 of many political powers from the UK Parliament to a newly-formed Scottish Parliament, Scotland's own international development strategy has been evolving. In 2016, the Scottish Government articulated a commitment to ‘global citizenship’, a pan-governmental, pan-societal engagement towards domestic and international achievement of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Following a consideration of the risks and benefits of international volunteering to the Scottish health service, an NHS Scotland Global Citizenship Programme was established, which has catalysed policy development, created networking opportunities, the promulgation of best practice in international health work and the development of novel contracts which facilitate global health work in tandem with a Scottish employment contract. This article also outlines the various benefits of global health engagement for a health service in a high income country such as Scotland.