Health and Social Care Data Board minutes: August 2026

Attendees and apologies

Chair 

• Jonathan Cameron (JC), Scottish Government

Board members

• CA, Aberdeen City Council
• Colin Birchenall (CB), Local Government Digital Office
• MG, Scottish Government
• TG, NHS Grampian
• Roger Halliday (RH), Research Data Scotland
• Scott Heald (SH), Public Health Scotland
• CK, NHS Borders
• Eilidh McLaughlin (EM), Scottish Government
• Nicola Steadman (NS), Scottish Government
• LT, NHS Lanarkshire

Programme team

• RA, Scottish Government
• SC, Scottish Government
• MM, Scottish Government
• GW, Scottish Government
• RG, COSLA

Attendees

• TB, Scottish Government
• EB, Scottish Government
• CC, Scottish Government
• CM, Scottish Government
• EP, Public Services Delivery Scotland
• ER, COSLA

Apologies

• JD, Renfrewshire HSCP
• ED, Scottish Government
• LH, Scottish Government
• DM, Public Services Delivery Scotland
• CS, Scottish Government Official
• AW, Scottish Government

Items and actions

Welcome, introductions and apologies

JC - deputising for CS - welcomed everyone to the Health and Social Care Data Board, noting the assumption that pre-circulated papers had been read and the focus of this meeting is on key points and strategic advice. 

JC welcomed: 

EB - Head of Information Assurance and Risk/NIGP Lead – Scottish Government  

CC - Digital Services and Innovation Policy Manager – Scottish Government  

EP - Head of Data Standards (Health and Social Care) – Public Services Delivery Scotland  

Apologies were noted from JD, ED, LH, DM, CS, AW. 

TB attended on behalf of ED, EB attended on behalf LH and CM attended on behalf of AW. 

Minutes, action log and policy update 

The board noted: 

• minutes from the meeting held on 26 May 2026 are published on our group page

Two outstanding actions from May’s meeting included: 

• DHC DB 144 - SH to share the results of the survey to capture user needs across the system for adults receiving social care
• DHC DB 154 – RA to continue to work with colleagues to progress protected characteristics work and produce a paper outlining the current position and next steps

SH provided a verbal update regarding DHC DB 144 to confirm he had provided a written update to the secretariat that would be shared in due course.  

RA and SH provided a verbal update regarding DHC DB 154, confirming that the paper is currently being finalised following feedback, with next steps to be agreed as responsibility transfers from the short-life working group to PHS. Good progress has also been made on interim arrangements, including the use of CHI. 

Policy updates and sub-board flash reports were shared with board members prior to the meeting. 

Next steps: 

SH requested the opportunity to provide a further update on the work regarding Race and Ethnicity at the next Data Board Meeting which was agreed.   

Information governance  

JC invited EB and ER to present an overview of the National Information Governance (IG) Programme, outlining progress towards a federated IG model.  

The overview covered: 

• a progress update on delivery to date and future priorities, supporting public service reform, data strategy goals and a more integrated, digitally enabled federated model
• the complementary roles of the National Information Governance Programme and Public Service Delivery Scotland in strengthening governance, delivery and information sharing across health and social care
• progress in developing the Information Governance Platform, federated governance framework and supporting resources to enable safe and effective information sharing
• evidence of progress to date, including stronger governance, greater collaboration, improved workforce capability and growing momentum across the system
• updates on local government work to strengthen information sharing, including the SOURCE framework, CHI adoption, scalability considerations and supporting governance arrangements
• the need for strong partnerships, consistent messaging and continued investment to support wider adoption and long-term transformation

The board was asked to:  

• note progress on delivery of the National IG Programme, including readiness for the wider launch of the IG Platform and IG Framework
• note progress on implementing the governance model endorsed by DDSB on 12 May
• provide views on Q3/Q4 priorities, including actions to strengthen information governance capability
• support continued engagement with leads, SROs and delivery partners to maintain collective ownership of the IG Platform and wider NIGP activity
• identify any additional information the board would like included in the IG Platform/NIGP update

The board noted:  

• board members welcomed the programme's direction, and noted the implementation of the governance model

The board discussed: 

• opportunities for more focused discussion of programme activity, intended outcomes and measurable benefits, recognising the breadth and volume of information considered by the board
• further support board understanding of programme progress by increasing the visibility and traceability of established objectives, milestones, risks, delivery timelines and performance measures to facilitate informed scrutiny and discussion by the board
• continued engagement across health, social care and local government partners remaining essential, with co-design, operational input and consistent national messaging supporting adoption and culture change
• delivery plans balancing strategic ambition with organisational capacity, maintaining a focus on simplification, usability and benefits for frontline services
• further work being required to define governance arrangements for non-research data uses, including the future role of existing approval and assurance bodies

Next steps:

• to further develop and refine the articulation of programme outcomes, benefits, milestones and key performance indicators to support future board reporting and oversight
• to circulate the finalised Health Boards Information Governance Action Plan to board members for information
• TG to present the Health Boards Information Governance Action Plan to the next iteration of the board, including key priorities, delivery plans and intended outcomes
• the NIGP to consider a future board deep-dive session focused on benefits realisation, programme outcomes and risk management to provide greater assurance on delivery and impact

Artificial Intelligence Framework/Ambient Voice Technology (AVT) 

JC invited CC to provide an update on plans for publication of an AI Framework for health and social care.    

The overview covered:  

• the development of the national AI Framework to support the safe, consistent and effective use of AI across health and social care, with a focus on governance, risk management and oversight
• publication was paused to allow further trade union and workforce engagement, with feedback highlighting partnership working, workforce impacts, confidence, and robust governance and assurance
• trade union engagement subsequently that has broadly supported the framework, while emphasising consistency in procurement, risk management, assurance and human oversight of AI-enabled services
• the intent of the revised framework to provide a consistent national approach to AI adoption, supported by clear policy, ethical principles and multidisciplinary governance
• interim guidance that has been published with COSLA and the Digital Office, with the full AI Framework continuing to be developed in partnership with trade unions for publication in November 2026

The board was asked to:  

• note the latest plans regarding publication of the AI Framework for Health and Social Care
• discuss the latest feedback from Trade Unions regarding use of AI
• note the publication of joint interim guidance on the use of AI in health and social care

The board noted:  

• the latest plans regarding publication of the AI Framework for Health and Social Care
• the publication of joint interim guidance on the use of AI in health and social care

The board discussed:  

• the importance of robust governance, assurance and safe data use, recognising that AI adoption depends on strong foundations, including digital infrastructure and legacy system improvement
• concerns that the current guidance remains high-level, with calls for stronger clinical governance, patient safety arrangements and broader engagement with clinicians and professional bodies
• the purpose and value of the Scottish AI Register, with agreement that its role as a transparency tool should be clearly communicated to encourage uptake
• the need for a clearer national vision and coordinated programme of work for AI, supported by practical use cases, an AI Action Plan and consistent governance
• the importance of public trust and confidence was emphasised, including transparency, human oversight and alignment with public expectations of AI use
• the skills, capability and capacity gaps across organisations, with members suggesting national support, maturity assessment, benchmarking and assurance mechanisms being required for safe and consistent adoption

Next steps:

• the programme team should consider whether or not a future session on the implementation of AI should be brought to a future session

JC then invited CC to provide a further overview of other AI priorities including approaches for the use of Ambient Voice Technology (AVT) in health and social care. 

The overview covered:  

• the emerging use of Ambient Voice Technology (AVT) and recognised that adoption was already taking place in parts of the sector
• issues around clinical safety, liability, supplier management, integration with existing systems and governance oversight
• the importance of MHRA guidance in supporting the implementation of these tools
• UK-wide recommendations being available in September 2026
• recent commitment to an AI hub and consideration of an AI action plan following publication of the framework

The board was asked:  

• to note the update provided regarding Ambient Voice Technology and latest MHRA guidance

The board noted:  

• the update provided regarding Ambient Voice Technology and latest MHRA guidance

The group discussed: 

• the need for a more proactive national approach to AI, focused on priority use cases and targeted support for adoption 
• the importance of clearer guidance on risk, liability and assurance, recognising that AI is already being deployed and governance capability varies across organisations
• support for an AI Action Plan, alongside calls for clearer oversight and assurance of local governance arrangements
• concerns that some AI applications may sit outside existing regulatory frameworks, reinforcing the need for comprehensive governance and assurance controls

Data Standards governance  

JC invited EP to provide an update on the proposed governance for data standards in health and social care. 

The overview covered:  

• an overview of the proposed Data Standards governance model, including the respective roles, responsibilities and relationship between the Data Standards Assurance Board and Data Standards Decision Board
• proposed transition arrangements and draft Terms of Reference, setting out how the new governance structure will be established and operated
• the long-term vision for the Data Standards Project, including strategic priorities, intended outcomes, key milestones and delivery timelines
• an overview of the Delivery Framework, including its scope, objectives and core components covering strategy, delivery, engagement, standards management, technology and governance

The board was asked to:  

• approve the proposed governance model, which includes a national health and social care Data Standards Assurance Board (DSAB), and a national health and social care Data Standards Decision Board (DSDB) operating within Data Board governance arrangements
• approve preliminary supporting Terms of Reference documents
• approve transition arrangements from the current Data Standards Sub-Board (DSSB) to the DSAB
• note the national Health and Social Care Data Standards Project Delivery Framework and its role in establishing the future operating model for the Data Standards Team
• to endorse and provide feedback around the standards vision and framework

The board noted:  

• the national Health and Social Care Data Standards Project Delivery Framework and its role in establishing the future operating model for the Data Standards Team

The board discussed:  

• broad support for the proposed Data Standards governance model and associated governance structures
• the importance of ensuring the approach supports cross-sector working and avoids an overly health-focused perspective, particularly given variation across local government and social care
• the need to align with existing governance and standards bodies, ensuring consultation and sector-specific governance processes are built into the assurance process and duplication is avoided
• the volume of standards, the proportionality of establishing additional governance structures, and how the model will operate in practice during the early stages of implementation
• general agreement with the proposed direction of travel, with support for reviewing draft Terms of Reference offline, approving the transition arrangements, and monitoring progress and sustainability as the new arrangements mature

Next steps:  

It was agreed that board members would review the Terms of Reference offline and provide feedback to EP.

Any other business

Next Data Board meeting: 

Tuesday 17 November 2026 – 13:00 to 16:00