Health and Social Care Data Board

Overview

Scotland’s Digital Health and Care Strategy sets out the need for a data strategy. This is to ensure that health and care data supports the delivery of health and care services. In turn this empowers citizens and supports innovation and research.  

The data board provides leadership and oversight of the data strategy. The board also takes ownership of broader decision making on data to improve health and care outcomes, such as the implementation of data standards.

Scotland’s first data strategy was published on 21 February 2023. To progress towards the vision and ambition of the strategy, the data board agreed to the formation of two sub-boards:

• the Data Delivery Sub-board was formed to allow COSLA and the Scottish Government to effectively monitor progress of deliverables and programmes of work associated with the Strategy. The sub-board will oversee delivery and provide a single point to triage data work that has been commissioned for the health and social care sector
• the Data Standards Sub-board was established to allow COSLA and the Scottish Government to set out the preferred standards for use across the health and social care sector to drive a common approach to the way in which data is captured to facilitate interoperability

The data board works together to:

• provide collective, multi-agency leadership and strategic oversight to direct the scope of future iterations and oversee delivery of the Data Strategy for Health and Social Care. This is to ensure it meets the needs of the health and care sector
• develop the necessary governance and delivery arrangements required to support the use of data in health and social care
• provide leadership and guidance to the Data Delivery Sub-Board and the Data Standards Sub-Board
• work with other data governance bodies to contribute to shared priorities across government through a nominated representative
• ensure alignment with other national strategies: Digital Health and Care Strategy, Scotland’s Digital Strategy and Scotland’s AI Strategy

Members

Independent Chair

• CS - Scottish Government Official

Core board members

• Colin Birchenall, Chief Technology Officer, Local Government Digital Office
• Jonathan Cameron, Deputy Director, Digital Health and Care, Scottish Government
• JD - Scottish Government Official
• ED - Scottish Government Official
• MG - Scottish Government Official
• TG - Scottish Government Official
• AG - Scottish Government Official
• Roger Halliday, Chief Executive, Research Data Scotland and Co Director of Administrative, Data Research Scotland
• Scott Heald, Director of Data Driven Innovation, Public Health Scotland
• Karen Hedge, National Director, Scottish Care
• LH - Scottish Government Official
• AK - Scottish Government Official
• MM - Scottish Government Official
• Eilidh McLaughlin, Head of Digital Citizen Unit, Scottish Government
• MMu - Scottish Government Official
• BO'B - Scottish Government Official
• PR - Scottish Government Official
• Nicola Steedman, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Head of Medical Advisory Division, Scottish Government
• Lorraine Taggart, Scottish Government Official
• Health Thompson, Interim Chief Executive Officer, The Data Lab
• Jonathon Todd, National Information Leads, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
• Alison White, Director, West Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership
• Angie Wood, Co-Director Social Care and National Care Service Development Directorate, Scottish Government

Publications

Health and Social Care Data Board: terms of reference