The recently published digital health and care strategy commits to the development of Scotland’s first ever dedicated Data Strategy. It's important that people are at the heart of any developments and that trust is built in how our data is stored and used.

The working vision of the Strategy is to ensure health and care data supports the delivery of health and social care services, and to ensure it does so in a way that empowers the citizens and supports innovation and research. Citizens should have access to and control over, their own health and care data – including the ability to view and update information contained.

The strategy will also outline how health and care services can be better integrated and built on people-centred approaches where staff can record, access and share relevant data across the health and social care system to support people’s care. The third and independent sector health and care providers are at the heart of this work, recognising the importance of data flow for the integration agenda.”

The government has established a Data Strategy Working Group as part of this refresh. The minutes of their meetings and progress can be followed online, additionally updates are posted through their Twitter account: @DigiCare4Scot.

This is an opportunity for third sector organisations working in the area of health and social care to engage with the Directorate for Digital Health and Care around these issues.

Chaired by : Claire Stevens, Chief Executive, Voluntary Health Scotland

Speaker: Nel Whiting, Policy Lead for Participation & Engagement, Directorate for Digital Health & Care, Scottish Government

Please contact Lauren Blair if you have any questions lauren.blair@vhscotland.org.uk

Data Strategy for Health & Social Care: Scottish Government Engagement