The Future of Scottish Healthcare and Research

Scotland is seen as both the ‘sick man of Europe’ and an isolated population viewed as a ‘living lab’ for researchers. Polls have shown that access to quality healthcare services and good research (for both public and commercial benefit) are key areas of concern in the debates about Scottish independence. Building on a decade of research into life science innovation systems and translational medicine, the sociology of health and illness, and the history of medicine, Innogen led a study on the future of Scottish healthcare and research. This project has had significant impact on improving knowledge and understanding of the key benefits and limitations of the currently devolved health service in Scotland, and the partially devolved health research system, in the context of the social, political, and economic exigencies being mobilised by the referendum. Innogen’s activities have helped to inform the public debate, and continue to be relevant to the clinical and research communities and industrial sectors by providing new knowledge, understanding, and insights into the broader, systemic challenges of devolved healthcare and research.