Health and social care: data strategy - island communities impact assessment

Data Strategy for Health and Social Care Island Communities Impact Assessment

Island Communities Impact Assessment

Name of Policy, Strategy or Service

Data Strategy for Health and Social Care

Step One – Develop a clear understanding of your objectives

• What are the objectives of the policy, strategy or service?
• What are the intended impacts/ outcomes and how do these potentially differ across the islands?

Scotland's first Data Strategy for health and social care - greater access, better insight, improved outcomes: a strategy for data-driven care in the digital age was published on 22 February on Gov.scot and accompanied by a more public facing Executive Summary.

The Strategy seeks to improve the care and wellbeing of people in Scotland by making best use of data in the design and delivery of services.

The Data Strategy sets out three key ambitions:

• Empowering people in Scotland by giving individuals clear and easy access to their own health and social care data, and the ability to manage and contribute to it, where safe and appropriate;
• Empowering staff providing health and social care support to have the ability and confidence to gather, use, and share data safely and securely to improve services and outcomes;
• Ensuring fit for purpose data is accessible safely and securely for planning, research, and innovation; and used for the benefit and wellbeing of individuals and the public including development of new ways of working, new treatments and technologies, and improving care.

The Strategy has been informed through extensive engagement with stakeholders and the public. We used this evidence, alongside the analysis of our consultation to identify eight priority areas for action within the Strategy: Ethical Approaches to Data, Data Access, Talent and Culture, Protecting and Sharing Data, Technology and Infrastructure, Information Standards and Interoperability, Creating Insights from data and Supporting Research and Innovation.

The Data Strategy will take an iterative approach to ensure that the Strategy is developed in a meaningful way and can articulate short term deliverables whilst being regularly updated to reflect real-world changes. The first iteration of the strategy will set the direction of travel and align with existing programmes of work.

As the Data Strategy is an iterative living document it will require regular review to assess any changes and how they could affect Island and rural Communities.

We will therefore continue to review the impact of the Data Strategy on island communities, engaging with relevant stakeholders and publish further updated versions of the Island Communities Impact Assessment as required.

Step Two – Gather your data and identify your stakeholders

• What data is available about the current situation in the islands?
• Who are your key Stakeholders?
• How does any existing data differ between islands?
• Are there any existing design features or mitigations in place?

A public consultation was launched on 16 May 2022 on Citizen Space which closed on 12 August 2022.  There were 162 responses received of which 101 were from organisations. The analysis of the consultation responses alongside the stakeholder engagement that has been undertaken was used to inform the development of the Data Strategy.

From the engagement and research undertaken there is no data to suggest that the Data Strategy will have a unique impact on island communities.

The Strategy aligns with the development of the National Care Service and other government strategies such as Scotland's Digital Strategy to provide strategic direction for use of data across Health and Social Care. 

The Strategy will continue to be developed with, and for, the people of Scotland who we recognise need to have complete trust in how their data is used, as well as develop greater understanding in the value of sharing their data for the benefit of all and the future of health & care delivery. 

As the Data Strategy is an iterative living document it will require regular review to assess any changes and how they could affect Island and rural Communities.

We will therefore continue to review the impact of the Data Strategy on island communities, engaging with relevant stakeholders and publish further updated versions of the Island Communities Impact Assessment as required.

Step Three – Consultation

• Is there are information already gathered through previous engagements?
• How will you carry out your consultation and in what timescales? Public meetings/Local Authorities/key Stakeholders
• What questions will you ask when considering how to address island realities?
• Separate consultation events for Island communities/Local Authorities?

As the Data Strategy is an iterative living document it will require regular review to assess any changes and how they could affect Island and rural Communities.

We will therefore continue to review the impact of the Data Strategy on island communities, engaging with relevant stakeholders and publish further updated versions of the Island Communities Impact Assessment as required.

Step Four – Assessment

• Does your assessment identify any unique impacts on island communities? (Further detail in the Guidance):
  • Demographic
  • Economic
  • Gaelic
  • å Social
• Does your assessment identify any potential barriers or wider impacts?
• Are there mitigations already in place for these impacts raised?

We are not currently aware of any unique impacts that the Data Strategy will have on island communities. However, as the Data Strategy is an iterative living document it will require regular review to assess any changes and how they could affect Island and rural Communities. We will therefore continue to review the impact of the Data Strategy on island communities, engaging with relevant stakeholders and publishing further updated versions of the Island Communities Impact Assessment as required.

A full Islands Community Impact Assessment is not required

In preparing the ICIA, I have formed an opinion that our policy, strategy or service is NOT likely to have an effect on an island community which is significantly different from its effect on other communities (including other island communities). The reason for this is detailed below.

Reason for not completing a full Islands Communities Impact Assessment:

The first publication of the Data Strategy for Health and Social Care is high level and therefore does not have specific or significant impact on Island or rural communities. We will however review engagement and gather evidence for a full impact assessment as further more detailed iterations of the strategy are released.

Screening ICIA completed by (name)
Imme Jones

Position
Policy Lead – Data Strategy and Data Driven Innovation

Signature and date
31/05/2023

ICIA authorised by (we recommend DD level)
Jonathan Cameron

Position
Deputy Director - Digital Health and Care

Signature and date
31/05/2023