| Agency Name: | Public Health Scotland |
| Type: | Public Health Agency |
| Formed: | 1 April 2020 |
| Preceding1: | NHS Health Scotland Health Protection Scotland Information Services Division |
| Jurisdiction: | Scotland |
| Headquarters: | Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Employees: | 1,100 (approx.) |
| Budget: | £47.9m (2020-21) |
| Minister1 Name: | Neil Gray |
| Minister1 Pfo: | Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care |
| Minister2 Name: | Cllr Stuart Currie |
| Minister2 Pfo: | COSLA Health and Social Care Spokesperson |
| Deputyminister1 Name: | Jenni Minto MSP |
| Deputyminister1 Pfo: | Minister for Public Health and Women's Health |
| Chief1 Name: | Paul Johnston |
| Chief1 Position: | Chief Executive |
Public Health Scotland (PHS[1]) (Gaelic; Scottish Gaelic: Slàinte Poblach na h-Alba) is the national public health body for Scotland.[2] [3] It is a Special NHS Health Board, and it is jointly accountable to the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and the Scottish Government. Fully exercising its functions from 1 April 2020 as Scotland's leading national agency for improving and protecting the health and well-being of all of Scotland's people, it is jointly sponsored by COSLA and the Scottish Government, and collaborates with third sector organisations.[4]
Its role is to increase healthy life expectancy and reduce premature mortality. Areas of focus are COVID-19, mental health and well-being, community and place, and poverty and children.[5]
The board's first chief executive was Angela Leitch, formerly chief executive of East Lothian Council.[6] Paul Johnston, formerly a Director General within the Scottish Government, took over the role in 2023.
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The board arose from a reorganisation of public health in Scotland, outlined in the 2015 Review of Public Health and further developed in the 2016 Health and Social Care Delivery Plan.[7] [8] Public Health Scotland came into existence on 7 December 2019 under the Public Health Scotland Order 2019 and then property, rights and liabilities were transferred to it on 1 April 2020.[9]
A predecessor, Health Protection Scotland, continues to operate as part of Public Health Scotland.[10] PHS also took over the functions of NHS Scotland's Information Services Division, providing statistics and data analysis.[11]