Care in the Digital Age: delivery plan 2025 to 2026

Data-Driven Services and Insight

Data is harnessed to the benefit of citizens, services and innovation.

What we will deliver:

Improved collection and quality of ethnicity data to support fair and equitable care and outcomes for everyone living in Scotland.

Why we are doing this:

Support fair and equitable care and outcomes for everyone living in Scotland and ensure that public bodies in Scotland’s health and care sector can meet our responsibilities under the Public Sector Equalities Duty.

This was rescheduled following discovery work that identified new CHI as a preferred solution and resulting work on a business case for technical implementation. NSS now commissioned to deliver by August 2025.

Who is leading this work:

• NSS
• (Previously PHS)

When it will be delivered and progress:

• August 2025
• On Track

What we will deliver:

A Data delivery plan for Scotland that sets out our priorities based on the Health and Social Care Data Strategy, published in 2023.

Why we are doing this:

Demonstrate progress toward achieving the vision and ambitions of our Data Strategy, keeping transparency and accountability at the centre of how we work.

Who is leading this work:

• Scottish Government Digital Health and Care
• COSLA

When it will be delivered and progress:

Completed

What we will deliver:

A programme of work which sets out our approach to the introduction of legally mandated standards for the safe and effective sharing of information across health and social care, under the powers proposed by the Care Reform (Scotland) Bill

Why we are doing this:

To improve the quality of our health and social care data, and drive up interoperability through using common standards, making it easier to re-use data.

Data Standards Sub-Board established and undertaking work to set out governance for preferred standards for use in health and social care. The Care Reform Scotland Bill (formally known as the NCS Bill) passed Stage 2 of the parliamentary process. The Bill may be given Assent as early as Summer 2025.

Who is leading this work:

• Scottish Government Digital Health and Care
• COSLA

When it will be delivered and progress:

• March 2028
• On Track

What we will deliver:

A ‘Once for NHS Scotland’ approach to standardised endoscopy reporting.

Why we are doing this:

Gather accurate activity data, prospective endoscopy quality data.

Support endoscopy and urology training.

Optimise scheduling and booking efficiency.

Who is leading this work:

NSS

When it will be delivered and progress:

• March 2028
• Complete

What we will deliver:

A Primary Care Data and Intelligence Platform which makes available data from all GP IT systems daily for statistical analysis and reporting through the Seer platform. Controlled access to the data held in this platform will be made available on a use case basis to each Regional Board, PHS, NES and NSS.

Why we are doing this:

Make available data from all GP IT

Strengthen and improve availability of critical data for statistical analysis and reporting by providing greater technical capability to deliver data-driven insights.

The first phase of the Platform will concentrate on existing requests with Phase Two new requests.

Who is leading this work:

• NSS
• PHS

When it will be delivered and progress:

• March 2026
• On Track

What we will deliver:

Transfer of the Right Decision Service, offering Clinical Decision Support Tools, from an innovation development to a mainstream service.

Why we are doing this:

Provide professionals will the ability to use multiple data-driven recommendations and decision support tools on a consistent platform

Provide validated evidence and guidance for health and care staff.

Embed evidence within day-to-day tools and processes.

Who is leading this work:

Health Improvement Scotland

When it will be delivered and progress:

• August 2023
• Complete

What we will deliver:

Yearly audit process on all NHS Scotland Health Boards

Why we are doing this:

Assess compliance with the Network and Information Systems (NIS) Regulations undertaken.

Who is leading this work:

All Boards

When it will be delivered and progress:

• Ongoing
• On Track

What we will deliver:

National approach to Information Governance (IG).

Lead on the prioritisation and implementation of the National IG Plan for Health and Social Care. This will include:

• Production of an ICO Code of Conduct
• Records Management Code of Practice
• IG Maturity Assessment Pilots
• IG Competency framework
• Consideration of a national body for oversight across health and care

Why we are doing this:

Support a more efficient way of making decisions and managing data and digital across all health and social care in Scotland.

Ensure that innovations driven by data and by digital technologies enable Health and Social Care to work and improve in a transparent, fair, consistent and secure way, with the benefits for people always at the forefront of our minds.

Ensure that information across Health and Social Care is a secure enabler of improvement for people.

Evaluation of the National IG Programme has been undertaken with COSLA, NHS Scotland IG Leads Forum and Scottish Government Digital Health and Care working to develop an action plan.

An update to the Records Management Code of Practice was published in August 2025 with work under way to consider how it could support social care and social work. IG maturity pilots have been undertaken to determine future requirements.

Who is leading this work:

• Scottish Government Digital Health and Care
• COSLA

When it will be delivered and progress:

• Ongoing
• On Track

What we will deliver:

Direction and guidelines on maximising use of existing digital infrastructure taking a 'Cloud First' approach where appropriate to do so

Why we are doing this:

Increase resilience and access to performant, modern, integrated applications.

Future proofing our digital landscape.

This work will now be developed as part of the target architecture and technical standards work as seen in the deliverable regarding the Technical Roadmap.

Who is leading this work:

• Scottish Government Digital Health and Care
• LGDO

When it will be delivered and progress:

• December 2025
• Delayed