Funding and oversight of IT systems within NHS Scotland queries: FOI release

Information requested

“The following information regarding the Scottish Government’s funding and oversight of IT systems within NHS Scotland, with a specific focus on Microsoft 365 (M365) services.

1. Funding and Expenditure

• The total amount of capital and revenue funding allocated by the Scottish Government to NHS Scotland (or specifically to NHS National Services Scotland) for the procurement and implementation of Microsoft 365 services for the financial years 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25.
• A breakdown of these costs where possible, including licensing fees (e.g., E3, E5, or F3 licenses), migration costs, and ongoing support costs.
• Details of any specific grants or "national digital" funds provided to Territorial Health Boards to assist with M365 adoption or the decommissioning of legacy on-premise IT systems during the same period.

2. Strategic Oversight and Governance

• Copies of the most recent "National Digital Platform" or "Microsoft Cloud Computing Strategy" progress reports submitted to or reviewed by the Scottish Government.
• A summary of the governance structure (e.g., specific boards or committees) within the Scottish Government or NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) that provides oversight for the national M365 contract.
• Details of any Performance Indicators (KPIs) or "Value for Money" assessments used by the Scottish Government to monitor the effectiveness of the national IT spend on Microsoft services.

3. Future Commitments

• Information regarding the current contract end-dates for the national Microsoft licensing agreement and any projected budget allocations for the next renewal period.

​​​​​​​Format of Response:
​​​​​​​I would prefer to receive this information in electronic format (PDF or Excel). If some parts of this request are easier to answer than others, please provide the available information as soon as possible rather than waiting for the entire request to be processed.”​​​​​​​

Response

1. Funding and Expenditure

• The total amount of capital and revenue funding allocated by the Scottish Government to NHS Scotland (or specifically to NHS National Services Scotland) for the procurement and implementation of Microsoft 365 services for the financial years 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25.

There was no capital spend. The revenue spend is as follows:

• 2022/23: £615,000 to NHS National Services Scotland
• 2023/24: £265,000 to NHS National Services Scotland
• 2024/25: £800,000 to NHS National Services Scotland

A breakdown of these costs where possible, including licensing fees (e.g., E3, E5, or F3 licenses), migration costs, and ongoing support costs.

• This information is not held by the Scottish Government.

Details of any specific grants or "national digital" funds provided to Territorial Health Boards to assist with M365 adoption or the decommissioning of legacy on-premise IT systems during the same period.

• 22/23 - £500,000 to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

2. Strategic Oversight and Governance

• Copies of the most recent "National Digital Platform" or "Microsoft Cloud Computing Strategy" progress reports submitted to or reviewed by the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Government is kept informed by NSS through regular progress reports. We have attached a copy of the most recent progress report submitted by the NHS Scotland Cloud Computing Strategy Board to the Scottish Government, providing an update on NHS Scotland’s M365 programme.

• A summary of the governance structure (e.g., specific boards or committees) within the Scottish Government or NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) that provides oversight for the national M365 contract.

The governance structure within Scottish Government that provides oversight for the national M365 delivery is the Major Programmes Assurance Board — which provides appropriate assurance across all Digital and Data major programmes throughout their entire lifecycle.

• Details of any Performance Indicators (KPIs) or "Value for Money" assessments used by the Scottish Government to monitor the effectiveness of the national IT spend on Microsoft services.

This information is not held by the Scottish Government.

3. Future Commitments

• Information regarding the current contract end-dates for the national Microsoft licensing agreement and any projected budget allocations for the next renewal period.

The national Microsoft licensing agreement is contracted until 1 May 2030. Budget allocations for the subsequent renewal period are not yet confirmed and will be subject to future Scottish Budget spending reviews.

Information Not Held
Where information is described above as not held, this is confirmed under section 17(1) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA).

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

FOI 202500499750 - Information Released - Annex

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