Care in the Digital Age: delivery plan 2024 to 2025
Update for 2024 to 2025 to the national digital health and care strategy's delivery plan which describes activities supporting Health Boards, HSCPs, local authorities, primary care, social care, social work, and care providers to offer new or improved services.
Digital Foundations
The infrastructure, systems, regulation, standards, and governance are in place to ensure robust and secure delivery.
What we will deliver |
Why we are doing this |
Who is leading this work |
When it will be delivered and progress |
|---|---|---|---|
Implementation of a new National GP IT System, moving to a single cloud hosted solution (Cegedim Vision). |
More advanced systems supporting GP practices will deliver improved practice management and patient care. Speed up some admin tasks leading to better recording of health information. Improve Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) and Community Treatment and Care (CTAC) services, thanks to greater ability to share patient records with remote and mobile access. Introduce additional features designed to support patients, such as advanced appointment functionality. |
NSS |
Full roll-out complete by 2026. On Track |
Adoption of GS1 standards as part of the implementation of the NHS Scotland Scan for Safety Programme. |
Improve tracking of medical equipment and medical devices across Scotland. |
NSS |
March 2026 On Track |
Hospital Electronic Prescribing and Medicines Administration (HEPMA) system across Health Boards. |
Improve patient safety, better manage drug stocks, reduce paper, and reduce medication errors. |
NSS |
December 2025 On Track |
Re-Procure Scotland’s Picture and Archiving Communications System (PACS) used for storing and accessing digital images (MRI, Xray’s etc). |
Support fast access to images from any location. Provide opportunities for improved utilisation of scarce radiology resources, making images accessible for safe patient care. Support development of innovations such as Artificial Intelligence (AI). |
NSS |
Ten-year programme. Transition plan and start of preparatory work on new network and equipment complete by April 2024. On Track |
A new secure public sector network service via the ‘Scottish Wide Area Network’ (SWAN) providing a faster, private and secure pan public sector network service across Scotland. |
Increase the use of online services. Improve the performance and resilience of data transfer, contributing toward better patient care. Provide greater resilience in our systems throughout the public sector. |
NSS |
Seven-year ongoing programme. Start of transition to new contract complete March 2024. On Track |
A new master patient management system (known as Community Health Index (CHI)), enabling the old system to be switched off/ decommissioned. |
Upgrade and modernise our core patient demographics infrastructure, providing enhanced patient identification and matching their health information to their core health record. |
NSS |
New system live by November 2023. Complete |
Transition to Digital Telecare for the 142,000 service users in receipt of Telecare in Scotland through supporting Telecare service providers in the transition to digital telephony and establishing a shared cloud-based Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC). |
Support more people to access care at home. Increase resilience in our Digital Telecare infrastructure. Allow adopting providers to take advantage of shared routes to implementation of new technologies. Improve access to data and open new service delivery models. Future proof services for people, fully utilising data, encouraging collaboration and innovation opportunities. Remove obsolete analogue telecare solutions. Help prevent unavoidable hospital admissions. |
Scottish Government Digital Health and Care Division COSLA COSLA’s Digital Office Scottish Federation Housing Associations (SFHA) |
Full transition to Digital Telecare complete by December 2025. On Track |
Optimisation of the Microsoft 365 platform to support clinical and business operations, maximising collaboration and communication to those organisations using the platform. |
Enhancing the use of Microsoft 365 will increase efficiency and deliver an improved, more collaborative working experience. Support national priorities for Proactive and Preventative Care, National Care Service, NHS Recovery and the Healthcare Framework for Care Homes. |
NSS |
December 2025 On Track |
The ability for Health and Social care professionals to safely and easily share information through the roll-out of Microsoft 365. |
Enable Health and local government-employed Social Work and Social Care staff to collaborate and share information. Ease pressure on our service delivery systems and provide additional resilience as part of our approach to winter planning. |
COSLA COSLA’s Digital Office Scottish Government Digital Health and Care Division |
April 2025 On Track |
Digital products that schedule, appoint and report on the number of vaccinations and immunisations delivered by Scotland’s Vaccination Immunisation Programme (SVIP). |
Support the delivery of Scotland’s ambition to have a world class vaccination and immunisation programme, and support the creation of a ‘lifetime’ single vaccination record. |
Public Health Scotland (PHS) |
April 2024 Business as Usual support established for flu and COVID-19. Awaiting requirements for next stage of development. |
Requirements and understanding of how services will be transitioned from the current ATOS environment to a new modern cloud-based infrastructure that adheres to current standards. |
Ensure our systems are secure and resilient to comply with legislative standards. |
NSS |
Contract ending in 2026 with a two-year transitional process agreed On Track |
Modern Business Systems on a ‘Once for NHS Scotland’ basis. |
Ensure our Human Resources (HR), Payroll, Finance and Procurement systems meet the needs of our 160,000 staff, suppliers and partners. |
NSS |
April 2024 On Track |
An eRostering system to support the implementation of the Safer Staffing Act (2019). |
Enable Health Boards to increase access to health and care service. Provide real-time data to support service delivery. |
NSS |
April 2024 Implementation Phase - Ongoing |
A replacement for the current Child Health System. |
Replace our legacy Child Health System and support the development of modern cloud-based infrastructure that adheres to current, modern standards. Ensure our Child Health system is secure and resilient and able to comply with legislative standards. Enable an improved way of delivering child health services. |
NSS |
March 2025 On Track |
Re-Procurement of Docman (GP Document Management solution). |
Ensure continuity of service to GP practices, delivering a cloud-based document management system that is integrated with the GP record and supporting workflow. |
NSS |
December 2025 On Track |
Enable modernisation and improvement of laboratory services through the implementation of a single national Laboratory Information Management System across 12 NHS Boards in Scotland. |
Enable data to flow to the National Digital Platform (NDP). |
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (GGC) |
Rollout complete 2028. On Track |
Cloud-based digital components and services brought together to store and share defined summary patient data. |
Make it easier to build, enhance, share and access data across Scotland’s Health and Care System through the implementation of the National Digital Platform. |
NES NSS |
April 2024 On Track |
Internationally recognised SNOMED CT (Clinical Terminology) coding for all digital systems. |
Remove the dependency on legacy READ codes. Increase the quality of the data in our health and social care systems leading to greater insights being derived from data that can improve health and care outcomes. |
NSS |
March 2026 On Track |
Delivery of the first phase of development of an integrated social care and health record for Scotland. |
A nationally consistent integrated social care and health record will help to further our ambition of giving citizens access to their health and care data in a way that is transparent and meaningful and support greater sharing of information between those providing care support. |
NES |
March 2026 On Track |
Implement a technology that enables NHS staff to access multiple platforms through a single sign-on solution. |
Implementation of a single sign on for Scotland will bring consistency of access across NHS Scotland. Simplify the login process for staff as well as providing the ability to audit the use of systems ensuring data is only accessed by those who need to see it. |
NES NSS |
March 2025 On Track |
A Technical Roadmap for Scotland will be developed outlining the target architecture for improving digital and data infrastructure across the health and social care sector including the replacement of SCIstore. |
Building on the integrated record work (above) to encompass all major systems for Health and Care, providing a single reference blueprint built on common, open standards. |
Scottish Government Digital Health and Care Division |
April 2024 On Track |
Requirements for Scottish Referrals and Communications gathered. |
Gather the requirements for a ‘once for NHS Scotland’ approach to Referrals and Communications in primary and secondary care. |
NHS Fife NES NSS |
April 2024 Ongoing |
An options appraisal undertaken on the feasibility of introducing a new national approach to managing Radiology Information Systems (RIS). |
Support the transformation of Radiology services across Scotland. A new national approach to RIS will result in better co-ordination and management of radiology services, including tracking and issuing results to patients. |
All NHS Boards |
December 2024 On Track |
Set up programme Board to scope out and develop a business case for a National Infection, Prevention and Control surveillance eSystem for Scotland. |
Replace legacy systems with a modern cloud-based National Infection, Prevention and Control surveillance system for Scotland. |
Scottish Government – Chief Nursing Officer Directorate |
April 2024 On Track |
An Applications strategy and roadmap for Scotland. |
Support full product lifecycle management. Optimise our investment in the M365 platform. Provide our workforce with the tools required to support the digital transformation/reform of service delivery. To ensure our application platform focuses on clinical safety, scale up and adoption, adhering to our ambitions for a common technical blueprint and integrated record. |
NSS Scottish Government Digital Health and Care Division Health Board Digital Leads |
April 2024 Delayed |
Contact
Email: DHCPolicyHub@gov.scot
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