What Works Scotland research associate, Richard Brunner reflects on the recent Economics of Prevention seminar jointly organised by What Works Scotland and NHS Health Scotland.

Author: Richard Brunner, What Works Scotland

Date: 18 June 2015

What Works Scotland/NHS Health Scotland’s second seminar on the Economics of Prevention brought together more than 45 participants from national and local public bodies and the third sector.

The main aim of the event (held 28 May 2015) was to explore some fresh perspectives and understandings to what works in prevention by bringing together perspectives from different sectors.

The key areas explored were policing, health (smoking in pregnancy) and housing.

A number of ways of seeing the economics of prevention were raised by the presentations and discussion. They included thinking of prevention not just as a way of saving public funds, but also to right social injustice. And how to public bodies manage the tension between the costs of preventative approaches taken by one service achieving benefits for other services?

Read the post on the What Works Scotland blog.