Driving digital health innovation: Insights from Scotland’s Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre
From treatment to prevention
Professor Crooks opened by underscoring DHI’s long-term vision to move health and care from a reactive model based on treatment to one focused on prevention, anticipation, and independent living. As he put it, “We must be looking to 21st-century solutions to deal with 21st-century challenges.”
DHI’s innovation model blends technical, service, and business readiness, recognising that technology alone will not deliver transformation. The organisation helps partners, including SMEs and public bodies, develop solutions that meet real system needs, integrate effectively into existing infrastructure, and can scale sustainably.
Barriers to data sharing and the need for reform
A key discussion point was the persistent challenge of data sharing across the UK’s health systems. Professor Crooks described Scotland’s current approach to information governance as ‘like wading through treacle’ —a process that slows innovation, delays research, and in some cases, denies patients access to clinical trials.
The DHI is advocating a shift towards citizen-owned data, where individuals can consent directly to how their health data is shared and used. This personal data store approach could reduce duplication, speed up innovation, and empower citizens to manage their own care.
Abigail added that the problem extends beyond policy, citing resource constraints and a shortage of data analysts within the public sector. She also highlighted the lack of clarity around what constitutes “public good” when it comes to private sector access to health data, an issue that continues to impede collaboration between innovators and the NHS.
Supporting industry and building readiness
Lyons outlined DHI’s structured approach to industry engagement, designed to help companies navigate the complexity of health and social care innovation. DHI supports businesses through a tiered model — from light-touch engagement via cluster events and drop-in sessions to deeper collaboration on co-designed projects and funding applications.
The centre’s focus is on helping SMEs understand end-user needs, demonstrate cost-effectiveness, and ensure solutions can integrate with existing infrastructure. Lyons also noted that social care innovation, while still underdeveloped, represents a growing opportunity for industry as Scotland looks to rebalance care from hospitals into communities.
Looking ahead
The session closed with a frank discussion among techUK members about how policy and governance can better support digital health transformation. Common themes included the need to simplify data governance, reduce duplication, and create the right incentives for innovation across the UK’s health systems.
As Professor Crooks emphasised, investment in health and care should be viewed not as a cost but as an engine for economic growth and innovation. Scotland’s experience offers a valuable model for collaboration, where public sector, academia, and industry work together to develop sustainable, citizen-centred digital health solutions that benefit all.
Robert Walker
Robert joined techUK in October 2022, where he is now Programme Manager for Health and Social Care.