The educational and training body for Scotland’s NHS and a government innovation agency have announced they will work together to build a more skilled, capable and resilient health and social care workforce.

NHS Education Scotland (NES) and the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) have forged a new strategic partnership which they say will bring new opportunities to collaborate and maximise the strengths and expertise of each organisation.

Key to the agreement will be the development of both the workforce and the future design and delivery of health and care services through innovation and the use of digital technologies.

According to the organisations, the partnership will also support better outcomes for Scottish citizens, as well as boost economic competitiveness.  

Professor Karen Reid, NES Chief Executive, says that NES is delighted to be working with DHI, whose experience in digital innovation will enhance the partnership’s leadership and creativity in designing and delivering education, training and supporting staff to use technology:

“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.”

It comes after research commissioned by InnoScot Health revealed that 90% of NHS Scotland staff surveyed think innovation is essential to improve services and tackle pandemic backlogs.

A total of 71% of healthcare workers also reported having offered ideas to enhance the delivery of healthcare in NHS Scotland on at least one occasion.

At a conference last month to celebrate 50 years of the Chief Scientist Office, Scotland’s Chief Entrepreneur told attendees that “everybody” in the NHS is frustrated at its limited ability to innovate.

He highlighted the "insanity" of the system which he said chooses to focus on easy to solve things while regarding the real problems as too politically difficult.

A collaborative work programme between NES and the DHI will focus on workforce development, research development and innovation and developing and deploying innovative technologies.

It will also consider the delivery of health and social care in remote and rural areas and how the organisations can work with other bodies to embrace new ways of working.

Professor George Crooks, Chief Executive of the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre, says the partnership recognises role played by digital technologies in the delivery of safe, effective and sustainable health and care services:

“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.”

Read more: More doctors means longer waiting lists; Being bad at healthcare innovation ‘is a choice’; Entrepreneurial opportunity for NHS staff

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