Health and Social Care data Board meeting minutes: 3 May 2022

Attendees and apologies

Chair:

• Jonathan Cameron (JC) (Interim chair)

Board members:

• Marion Bain (MB)
• Colin Birchenall (CB)
• Susan Cloke (SC)
• Euan Dick (ED)
• Nicola Edge (NE)
• Lorna Gibbs (LG)
• Scott Heald (SH)
• Karen Hedge (KH)
• Albert King (AK)
• Mavis Machirori (MMa)
• Eilidh McLaughlin (EM)
• Anita Morrison (AM)
• Martin Murchie (MM)
• Lewis Ritchie (LR)
• Penni Rocks (PR)
• Simone Scott (SS)
• Jonathon Todd (JT)
• Alison White (AW)

In attendance:

• Andy McCleary (AMc)
• Brendan O’Brien (BO’B)

Prog. team: 

• Ryan Anderson (RA)
• Simon Crawley (SCr)
• Alistair Hodgson (AH)
• Imme Jones (IJ)
• Gemma Wilson (GW)

Apologies:

• Alistair Hodgson (AH)
• Albert King (AK)
• Jonathon Todd (JT)
• Alison White (AW)

Items and actions

Welcome, introductions and apologies

JC welcomed everyone to the Health and Social Care Data Board meeting.

JC introduced new members to the Board and invited each to introduce themselves and their interests in the use of data to improve health and social care in Scotland:

• Marion Bain, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Scottish Government
• Simone Scott, Information Governance Manager and Interim Representative of National Services Scotland (NSS)
• Mavis Machirori, Senior Researcher, Ada Lovelace Institute

Apologies were noted from Alistair Hodgson, Albert King, Jonathon Todd and Alison White.

Minutes and action log

JC advised amended Terms of Reference (ToR) has been circulated to the Board and asked members to confirm that they were satisfied to agree the updated ToR (Discussion Paper 1).

The board noted

• the updates to the ToR and agreed sign off
• the minutes from last Data Board meeting held on 08th March have been published on HSC Data Board page on Gov.scot
• all outstanding action log items have been completed

The board agreed

• To publishing the update ToR on the Health and Social Care Data Boards page on Gov.scot

SNOMED CT

AMc and BO’B (SNOMED CT Programme Team) presented an overview of the SNOMED CT programme. (Discussion Paper 2, Presentation 1).

The programme team provided a background to SNOMED CT and how it can be used for research, data analytics and sharing of information. The main points covered were

• key milestones for the programme and the journey taken in UK primary care, highlighting how Scotland could possibly focus on early transition to SNOMED CT
• how SNOMED would be a core part of Scotland’s refreshed Digital Strategy, as one of the largest IT systems being rolled out in Scotland
• the scale and scope of the programme
• the impact, outcomes and benefits of the programme, and how SNOMED CT can make the best use of digital technologies in the design and delivery of national health and care services
• issues and risks to the programme, specifically current funding constraints and how this could have negative impact on the programme’s scope

The board noted

• the work to date and progress of SNOMED CT and how this benefits Scotland’s refreshed Digital Health and Care Strategy
• how the Board can assist the programme and agree future standards and wider use of SNOMED CT in the future. For example, in social care
• how the programme can assist Scotland to meet the standards and ambitions of AI and new ways of working, aligning with Scotland’s Digital Strategy
• how Scotland can adopt the “English approach” to implementing the programme for capturing clinical terms within the electronic patient record system
• the partnership with Public Health Scotland and National Services Scotland to develop a Virtual Centre of Excellence as a first class centre of expertise for SNOMED CT

The board agreed

• to assist the SNOMED programme team with the develop a business case around engagement and governance and overall costs, benefits and realisation of implementation

Data Strategy

IJ presented an update on the progress of the Data Strategy, the upcoming consultation and the next steps for the strategy. (Discussion Paper 3, Presentation 2).

Points covered included

• progress of the Data Strategy since the last board meeting
• the formal consultation due to be launched on Citizen Space in May
• planned engagement alongside the formal consultation, moving into phase 3 of engagement
• approach to analysis of consultation responses
• next steps in preparing for launch of the Data Strategy in November

The board noted

• updates to the consultation document and agreed sign off
• that it is anticipated the consultation will go live on 16th May
• that a tender for analysis of the consultation will be published on Public Contract Scotland

The board agreed

• the sign off of the formal consultation document to be launched on Citizen Space

Data standards

GW presented the outcome of her initial scoping of data standards within health and social care in Scotland. (presentation 3)

The purpose was to ensure a common understanding amongst the Board of what is meant by data standards and what the most notable standards currently in use are.

The board noted

• the definition of data standards and the different categories of data standards that exist within health and social care
• the current landscape of data standards in health and social care in Scotland and the wider data standards landscape across the UK
• the data standards that are in use within health and social care in England
• the wider data standards landscape across the UK and that within Scottish Government the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) principles framework is used as best practice
• the data standards within the Data Strategy will align with the Scottish Governments FAIR principles framework
• current approach to implementing data standards within health and social care is fragmented

The board was asked

• to consider what their role should be with regards to overseeing the approach and process of implementing data standards within health and social care
• how the board can facilitate a joined up approach to standards to achieve the ambitions of the Data Strategy with regards to data quality and interoperability

Next steps

• GW to consider the wider work that is ongoing in relation to data standards and how to align with the work of the National Care Service
• GW to maintain contact with Shona Nicol (Data Standards Policy Lead, Scottish Government) to obtain insight into data standards work that is ongoing in her team and how we can work together

AOB and close

JC advised this will be his last meeting as Interim Chair as he has now successfully recruited an independent Chair. Carol Sinclair will be taking over as the independent Chair from August.

JC asked the board to raise any future discussion items for the Board.

Future discussion items suggested were:

• Ethnicity Protected Characteristics Data
• GS1 Standard/Open Data
• CHI National Care Record
• use of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Data for health and care
• data maturity in health and care
• National Information Governance Programme of work

Next meeting: Tuesday 23rd August 13:00-15:00