Health and Social Care Data Board meeting minutes: 27 October 2022

Attendees and apologies

Attendees and apologies

Chair

• Carol Sinclair (CS)

Board members

• Marion Bain (MB)
• Alan Bell (AB)
• Jonathan Cameron (JC)
• Susan Cloke (SC)
• Mel Giarchi (MG)
• Karen Hedge (KH)
• Albert King (AK)
• Eilidh McLaughlin (EM)
• Martin Mirchie (MM)
• Trish Quinn (TQ)
• Lewis Ritchie (LR)
• Penni Rocks (PR)
• Andrew Strait (AS)
• Jonathan Todd (JT)
• Alison White (AW)

In attendance

• Chris Lightfoot (CL)
• Andy McLeary (AMc)
• Ruth Meyer (RM)
• Brendan O'Brien (BO'B)

Programme team

• Ryan Anderson (RA)
• Simon Crawley (SCr)
• Ruth Griffith (RG)
• Alistair Hodgson (AH)
• Imme Jones (IJ)
• Gemma Wislon (GW)

Apologies

• Colin Birchenall (CB)
• Euan Dick (ED)
• Scott heald (SH)
• Mavis Machirori (MMa)

Items and actions

Welcome, introductions and apologies 

CS welcomed everyone to the fourth meeting of the Health and Social Care Data Board. 

CS introduced new member Mel Giarchi and invited her to introduce herself and her interests in the use of data to improve health and social care in Scotland. 

Apologies were noted from Colin Birchenall, Euan Dick and Scott Heald. 

Data Board membership has been updated. 

Minutes of the previous meeting held on 23 August 2022 have been published on our website. 

Minutes and action log 

The board noted: 

• outstanding actions on the action log from meeting on 23 August 2022

• Item 011, PR/EB/CB to have a follow up conversation with respect to engagement with Local Government 

• Item 012, GW/JW to provide the Board with further information regarding the options, risks and recommendations for wider implementation of International Classification of Diseases version 11 (ICD-11) 

Action log item 012 update: 

GW advised that PHS are in the process of drafting a response to the letter they have received from Scottish Government regards implementation of ICD-11. The response will set out requirements and associated risks. Scoping work will not be able to commence until recruitment has been undertaken. 

The board agreed:  

• PR and GW to provide updates at future Data Board meetings 

• SC to set up meeting for CS, KH, RM and AH regarding terminology of the board 

Data gaps (Audit Scotland roundtable) 

JC introduced the Audit Scotland presentation highlighting Audit Scotland’s concerns regarding the lack of evidence or data to support outcomes. Audit Scotland are seeking to understand where the data gaps are, what the problem is and the impact. Audit Scotland are keen to understand how we can move from strategy to practical action. 

The board was asked: 

• to read and highlight the report to their stakeholders and consider the key questions highlighted within the report 

• to consider data culture and data catalogues as the key lessons learned 

The board discussed: 

• there is a possible misperception that there are a large number of data gaps however the data may already exist, but people are unaware of its existence due to the fragmented nature in which data is captured, stored and shared 

• the need to understand what data is required and why, and how data can be linked and made visible 

The board agreed: 

• to highlight the Audit Scotland update report to stakeholders and to consider the key questions within the report 

• the need to develop a data catalogue for insight and aggregation of data in health and other areas is key 

National Care Service (NCS) data sharing regulations (NCS Scotland Bill) 

RM presented an overview of the NCS Data Sharing Regulations (NCS Scotland Bill) the background, milestones and the four priority projects currently underway: 

• development of integrated health and social care record 

• NCS effectiveness and management information 

• access to information and services 

• complaints and redress  

The NCS (Scotland) Bill will set out secondary legislation for information sharing in the healthcare sector and has provision to implement data standards to specify what data is collected, coded, stored and exchanged. 

The board was asked: 

• what the barriers/enablers to information sharing are right now 

• for their views on striking the right balance between sharing of information and privacy 

• to contribute their ideas and ambition for the ongoing work on information standards 

• if the NCS (Scotland Bill) should become a standing agenda item for the Data Board  

The board discussed: 

• what information will be captured in the integrated care record and how information will be protected 

• data standards governance and how standards will link in with standards elsewhere such as at a UK level 

• TQ advised project groups are being set up and encouraged members to get in touch to be involved 

The board agreed: 

• TQ and CS will discuss aligning the governance process for setting data standards under the NCS (Scotland) Bill and whether the NCS (Scotland Bill) should be a standing item on the Data Board agenda.  

• members interested in the project groups that are being set up are to contact TQ directly 

Data strategy update and personas 

RA provided an update on the data strategy. The update covered the key points from the consultation analysis, the development of personas for the strategy and advised that following approval by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care the responses and analysis will be published on our website.  

The development of personas for the Data Strategy will be based on three categories,  

• people who require/receiving care 

• organisations delivering health and social care services  

• research and innovation organisations 

Impact assessments are currently being developed and will be published in early 2023 alongside the Data Strategy. 

Data board members provided feedback on the Data Strategy which is currently being reviewed and actioned. 

The board was asked: 

• to provide headline feedback on the draft of the Data Strategy 

The board discussed: 

• the need for a specific data protection officer (DPO) persona to outline what data protection means to the service user 

• the strategy must be clear on the current challenges and how these will be addressed, and suggested that commitments are set out as principles and deliverables

SNOMED CT 

AMc and BO’B provided an update on the SNOMED CT programme. The update provided an overview of the roll out and mandating of SNOMED CT in England. They highlighted that Scotland's healthcare structure is less complex therefore, the current approach in Scotland has been to undertake engagement with a wide range of stakeholders, collaborating nationally and internationally. The SNOMED CT team have developed a business case which can be shared at a future data board meeting. 

The board was asked: 

•  to participate in a deep dive session on the benefits of adopting SNOMED CT 

The board discussed: 

• that the conditions need to be right to drive uptake and the benefits of SNOMED CT 

• that there is unlikely to be appetite for mandating SNOMED CT in advance of the NCS (Scotland) Bill 

The board agreed:  

• AMc and BO’B will be invited to attend future Data Board meetings in 2023 to conduct session on the benefits of SNOMED-CT 

Any other business and close 

Next Data Board meeting: Wednesday 14 December 13:00 to 15:30.