Scottish health workforce to be ‘empowered’ to use digital tools

Scottish health workforce to be ‘empowered’ to use digital tools

NHS Education for Scotland (NES) is partnering with the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) to support its plans to enhance care for every Scottish person. 

The Strategic Partnership Framework Agreement will strengthen the delivery of services by using digital technologies and innovation.  

An action plan – co-designed by both organisations – will focus on five areas including research development and the deployment of innovative technologies. 

Other areas the plan will focus on are education and training as well as delivering health and social care in remote and rural areas. 

NES chief executive, Karen Reid said: “We operate within a continually changing environment and a health and social care system which is facing unprecedented challenges. 

“We know that to be successful in achieving our ambition, we must embrace new ways of working, including innovation and advances in technology to enhance our impact across communities and the health and social care workforce. 

“Our collaboration will help us achieve our ambition that staff have the right skills, confidence and motivation to provide better outcomes for the people of Scotland.” 

The collaborative project will also support the Scottish Government’s policy to develop a more skilled and knowledgeable workforce. 

Released last year, the national strategy for economic transformation stated a skilled population was "key to business productivity and economic prosperity". 

George Crooks, DHI chief executive, added: “Creating a fertile environment where staff feel supported and empowered to utilise next generation digital tools and services to benefit patients, service users and their families while assisting them in their day-to-day activities can only be a good thing.” 

NES works to up-skill and educate the health and social care workforce to ensure they can provide quality care.  One of its recent studies, Val med, is looking into how digital solutions can help assess the effect different medicines have on patients. 

Funded by the Scottish Government, the DHI is one of seven national innovation centres. It is a collaborative project between the Glasgow School of Arts and the University of Strathclyde. Their vision is that innovation in the tech sector can allow Scottish people to “live longer, healthier lives and provide sustainable and inclusive growth in the economies”.