Scottish Parliament Health Committee seeks views on Scottish Government approach to eHealth

Health and Sport Committee chair Neil Findlay - Image credit: Scottish Parliament YouTube

The Scottish Parliament’s Health and Sport Committee is looking for views on the Scottish Government’s approach to eHealth.

The committee wants to hear about the successes or failures of current telehealth and telecare strategies, which provide, for example, remote monitoring of long-term health conditions by patients themselves and support for older people to remain in their own homes through alarms and monitors linked to a call centre.

It also wants to know what opportunities there are for future developments as well as what barriers to innovation there are within the NHS.

In its call for evidence the committee also asks whether the Scottish Government’s draft strategy on digital health and social care meets the future requirements for health and social care in Scotland.

Committee convener Neil Findlay said: "Digital technology has the potential to change the face of health and social care delivery.

“We want to find out whether enough is being done to realise that potential and to build a picture of how innovative an NHS we can expect to see in ten years’ time.

"Innovation is going to be incredibly important in ensuring that services keep pace with technology and that systems are joined up and work for the whole of the NHS and care sector.

“We’re asking for views on whether the Scottish Government’s draft digital health and social care strategy meets those aspirations.”

The deadline for submissions of written evidence to the Health and Sport Committee is 12 July.

The Scottish Government is also consulting on the draft strategy, with the final version due to be published by the end of 2017.