| Improve digital infrastructure | Access to the internet for business is key to developing the economy. A core element of the Digital Strategy for Scotland is to increase uptake of the internet and ensure that next generation broadband is available to all by 2020. |
| Improve levels of education attainment | The NPF already contained indicators of the quality of education in Scotland, through measures such as the proportion of school leavers in positive destinations and the proportion of schools, and pre-school centres, receiving positive inspection reports. This new indicator measures the performance of the Scottish school system in an international context. It will be measured using data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). PISA is an international assessment of student attainment in reading, maths and science at age fifteen. What is particularly valuable is that PISA focuses on testing the knowledge and skills required for participation in society and assessing the extent to which pupils can apply skills gained in school in everyday adult life, thus moving beyond the pupil's ability to master the school curriculum. |
| Increase the proportion of babies with a healthy birth weight | Birth weight is an important indicator of foetal and neonatal health. There is significant evidence of the correlation between maternal health and social circumstances and birth weights which are out with the normal birth weight range. Birth weight that is not within normal ranges also has a strong association with poor health outcomes in infancy, childhood and across the whole life course, including long term conditions such as diabetes and coronary heart disease. |
| Increase physical activity | Increasing the proportion of the population meeting physical activity levels is a key legacy aspiration for the Commonwealth Games. There is also a strong health benefit as increases equate to addressing the impact on sedentary lifestyles which can lead to reductions in health issues such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and blood pressure. There is also emerging evidence that physical activity delivers better outcomes for mild depression than prescribed medication. |
| Reduce deaths on Scotland's roads | Road Safety is an issue that affects everyone in Scotland. We all need to use roads to get around - to school, to work, to the shops. Most of us use the roads every day as drivers, passengers, cyclists and pedestrians and for many people driving is the main part of their job. It is essential therefore to ensure that, as far as possible, we can all use the roads in safety. Road accidents in which people are killed or injured result in high social and economic costs including a devastating impact on families, human pain and suffering, damage to vehicles and property, loss of productivity, demands on the emergency services as well as medical and insurance costs. |
| Improve the responsiveness of public services | The quality of public services is crucial in shaping a flourishing, productive and equitable Scotland. Public services have the power to improve people's quality of life and enhance their opportunities. It is important, therefore, that they are high quality, efficient, continually improving and responsive to the needs of local people. Responsiveness is a key aspect of the quality of public services, reflecting the extent to which services are designed around the needs of the individual. It relies upon organisations having mechanisms in place for people, particularly users of services, to communicate with service providers and to be heard so that their ideas can go into the redesign of more tailored services. |
| Reduce children's deprivation | Growing up in poverty can have a profound and lasting impact on children's outcomes - income poverty and material deprivation are strongly associated with poorer outcomes for children. Evidence tells us not only of the cost to individuals, but also of the great cost to society caused by child poverty, and of the economic case for shifting resources into early intervention and prevention. |
| Widen use of the internet | The advantages of accessing the internet can have an impact on an individual's wellbeing, education, financial situation and employment opportunities. Evidence shows that the key group who do not take advantage of the internet in their lives are mainly older people, those who are not employed, those on low incomes and those with a disability or long standing illness. These groups could benefit substantially from being online, for example from cheaper online purchasing, opportunities to keep in touch via social media and Skype, and awareness of employment vacancies. |
| Increase cultural engagement | Cultural engagement impacts positively on our general wellbeing and helps to reinforce our resilience in difficult times. Cultural participation is known to bring benefits in learning and education; there is a significant association with good health and satisfaction with life. |
| Improve end of life care | The indicator will represent the wishes and choices for patients and their carers and also demonstrate the effectiveness of having a planned approach to end of life care. An increase in this measure will reflect both quality and value through more effective, person centred and efficient end of life care with people being better able to be cared for at home or closer to home with a planned approach to end of life care resulting in less time in an acute hospital setting. |
| Reduce pre-mature mortality | Pre-mature mortality - defined as death from all causes, aged under 75 - is an important indicator of the overall health of the population. Scotland has the highest rates of pre-mature mortality in the UK, as well as significant inequalities in pre-mature mortality within Scotland. |
| Improve self-assessed general health | Self-assessed health is a useful measure of how individuals regard their own overall health status. It is strongly related to the presence of chronic and acute disease, as well as being a good predictor of hospital admission, mortality and a key marker of health inequalities. |