Being Human: Getting it Right in 2026

Event calls for human rights to be a priority ahead of the Scottish Parliament Elections in 2026.

To celebrate International Human Rights Day 2025, the Health and Social Care Academy hosted an event in partnership with the Human Rights Consortium Scotland (HRCS). The Being Human: Getting it Right in 2026 event featured a panel discussion, and focused on the right to health. Panellists also reflected on what needs to be prioritised ahead of the Scottish Parliament Elections in 2026.

The session was chaired by Lucy Mulvagh, Director of Policy, Research and Impact at the ALLIANCE. During the event, Lucy highlighted the importance of upholding our everyday rights which align with the theme for this year ‘Human Rights, Our Everyday Essentials’. She sets this out in more detail in her opinion Those with power have to get rights right in 2026.

The first speaker on the panel was Carolynne Hunter, a carer for her daughter Freya, who has severe complex health needs and disabilities. Carolynne also campaigns for unpaid carers and works at PAMIS Scotland. Carolynne spoke from the perspective of Freya’s experience and centred her presentation on what’s important to Freya. This included the right to appropriately trained staff wherever she is, including when she needs to go to a tertiary hospital. She also spoke about her concerns around Freya’s transition from child into adult services. She advocated for emotional and trauma support for Freya and the family. Carolynne ended the presentation by emphasising the need to keep Freya at the centre of all decisions about her healthcare and highlighted the pivotal role that carers play as experts.

The second panel input was delivered by Beth Allen from Age Scotland, an ALLIANCE member. Beth spoke about research undertaken by Age Scotland with older women, this included a survey and focus groups, to inform the development of the Women’s Health Plan. The research revealed that the right to health is not being fulfilled for older women. The research identified challenges in accessing health in remote and rural areas, a lack of culturally appropriate services, limited focus on early intervention and prevention and an absence of appropriate and accessible mental health support. Additionally, she highlighted the work the lived experience of dementia forum has been doing in relation to the right to health including the resource Unpaid Carers of People Living with Dementia: Know your rights!. Beth set out what Age Scotland think needs to be prioritised in 2026 including: a reduction in waiting times, a focus on social care and prevention, loneliness as a public health priority, investment in people living with dementia, an increase in experiences with geriatric medicine and improved mental health services for older people.

Allan Faulds from the ALLIANCE highlighted the development of the ALLIANCE’s manifesto ‘Our Collective Voice: The ALLIANCE manifesto for a fairer, healthier Scotland’. One of the key themes in the manifesto is ‘Scotland as a human rights leader’. One of the central calls is to progress the Human Rights Bill in the next parliament. Allan noted that human rights are threaded throughout the manifesto. Other themes highlighted relate to fair finance, social care, public services and prevention and lifelong support. The manifesto will be published in the new year.

The final presentation was delivered by Charlie McMillan from the Human Rights Consortium Scotland (HRCS). Charlie opened by highlighting the importance of the day-to-day realisation of everybody’s rights. He quoted Eleanor Roosevelt

“Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home – so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world… Such are the places where every man, woman and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere.”

Charlie then highlighted current legislation that supports the realisation of the right to the highest attainable standard of mental and physical health. Charlie also drew attention to Scotland’s second Human Rights Action Plan. However, he highlighted that action needs to be taken to make sure that we deliver on all our priorities. The Human Rights Consortium Scotland have developed a manifesto ‘Our Rights. Your Move.’ which calls for bold political action. He also called for the adoption of an intersectional lens to view the whole person when talking about human rights.

Lucy closed the event by highlighting that we can all be human rights defenders both professionally and personally.

This event was part of the Academy’s Being Human series which explores the importance of embedding human rights into health and social care policy and practice. Keep a look out for future events in the series.

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