“Any initiative that links social wellbeing and healthcare to social isolation would be very welcome”
- Written by: Rhona Hotchkiss — HMP Greenock — Governor
- Published: 5th June 2018
We asked Rhona for her views at our Action: The 2nd Health and Social Care Integration Event.
At our Annual Conference, Action: The 2nd Health and Social Care Integration Event on 4 June 2018, we interviewed a range of delegates to monitor their opinions on the conference and their thoughts on how to implement action in health and social care.
Rhona was one of our nine speakers at our event this year, and was admired by attendees for highlighting the intersection between long term conditions and Scotland’s prison population. Her talk emphasised action through the necessity for providing a home and income for everyone.
We asked Rhona:
Why is action needed in health and social care?
Rhona: People who come into prison have some of the poorest health profiles in our society. They are on average ten years older than their chronological age because of the impact of their life experiences and so on. I think that people coming out of prison need to be more obviously included in the system. They do quite well in prison because that have good access to healthcare. When they get out, sometimes the chaos of their lives takes over again and their health falls by the wayside and a lot of it is to do with social isolation and I know that a lot of people are very lonely when they get out of prison so any initiative that links social wellbeing and healthcare to social isolation would be very welcome.
If you were to prioritise one thing (and money and resource was no object) to action what would it be and how would it improve health and social care?
Rhona: Housing, it would be housing. I think the single most important thing that we can do for people is to give them a secure tenancy and somewhere safe to live, that they can call their own and somewhere where they don’t have to worry about falling behind with their rent, somewhere they wont get thrown out of. There is a lot of great work going on just now by the prison service and the agencies that work with us, housing agencies, Scottish Government and so on, but it really should be total priority for people coming out of prison.
You can also watch Rhona’s interview on the ALLIANCE YouTube channel (this link will take you away from our website).
End of page.
You may also like:
Isabella Goldie of Deafblind Scotland reflects on the value of partnership work.
Continue readingFind out more about the inaugural Power of Attorney Day taking place on 22 April 2026.
Continue readingDr Hannah Tweed reflects on 20 years of the Scottish Sensory Hub, the important work they do and why it matters.
Continue readingAs part of our 20 year anniversary, Kerry shares her reflections on how far the ALLIANCE has come, our achievements, and our impact.
Continue readingIn her latest TFN column, our Chief Officer Sara Redmond reflects on 20 years since Scotland moved to put children at the centre of policy.
Continue readingCancer care in Scotland is at a critical moment. Macmillan is calling for urgent action ahead of the parliamentary elections in May
Continue readingMhairi Campbell reflects on Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) not being recognised as having a severe impact on life.
Continue readingLucy Mulvagh shares how she used the Centre for Public Policy Practice Fellowship to examine prevention and its barriers to implementation
Continue readingLaura from Perth and Kinross HSCP shares how we can celebrate World Social Work Day through the lens of 'What Matters To You?'.
Continue readingReflections on the Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education) Bill
Continue readingLouise Hall from Pain Association Scotland reflects on the event she delivered as part of Self Management Week 2025.
Continue readingAct Now for Autistic Rights calls for a transformative Bill for autistic and neurodiverse communities
Continue readingIn the next decade, the role of digital in health and social care must embed our digital human rights principles to reduce inequalities.
Continue readingRead some reflections from ALLIANCE colleagues, who had the opportunity to sponsor and attend Scotland's Annual Human Rights Conference.
Continue reading“Our Collective Voice” is a hopeful vision for the next five years, and I encourage ALLIANCE members to bring it into their own campaigns.
Continue readingBy standing together, we can help ensure that everyone in Scotland has access to the compassionate, high quality palliative care.
Continue readingALLIANCE Scottish Sensory Hub Manager Dr Hannah Tweed reflects on the launch of the BSL network for public bodies.
Continue readingSimone Janse van Rensburg reflects on the impact of their Women Living Well event which featured as part of Self Management Week 2025.
Continue readingThe ALLIANCE’s Women’s Health Lived Experience Group reflect on their input to Phase 2 of the Scottish Government’s Women’s Health Plan.
Continue readingWellbeing Scotland’s Chief Clinical Officer Ashleigh Ronald highlights why we must shift stigmatising narratives around child abuse.
Continue readingAs we mark twenty years of the ALLIANCE, Person Centred Voices continues to show the power of listening, kindness and connection.
Continue readingThe ALLIANCE’s Women’s Health Lived Experience Group reflect on their input to Phase 2 of the Scottish Government’s Women’s Health Plan.
Continue readingThe ALLIANCE’s Women’s Health Lived Experience Group reflect on their input to Phase 2 of the Scottish Government’s Women’s Health Plan.
Continue readingThe ALLIANCE’s Women’s Health Lived Experience Group reflect on their input to Phase 2 of the Scottish Government’s Women’s Health Plan.
Continue readingThe ALLIANCE’s Women’s Health Lived Experience Group reflect on their input to Phase 2 of the Scottish Government’s Women’s Health Plan.
Continue reading