February 2026 – Following the most recent Scottish Atlas of Healthcare Variation publication in May 2025, the Scottish Government undertook a survey and evaluation to gather views of healthcare professionals on the usability and impact of the Atlas and to ascertain whether the Atlas is viewed as an effective tool to help identify and tackle unwarranted variation. The evaluation highlighted lower than anticipated levels of engagement with and utilisation of the Atlas. Following consideration of the evaluation recommendations, the Chief Medical Officer has decided that further investment in the Atlas should pause. As a result, there are no plans to undertake any further updates or revisions to the Atlas at this time and PHS will focus on alternative ways of supporting work on this topic.