New senior leadership programme for digital transformation in health and care for Scotland

A new masters level programme has been launched to develop a new generation of leaders who can drive, deliver, and embed digital transformation across Scotland’s health and care services.

The Usher Institute is delighted to announce that a new Scotland led masters level programme – Leading Digital Transformation in Health and Care for Scotland – is underway, with participants coming together to take part in an exciting and inspiring in person learning event to mark the start of their journey towards shaping and influencing digital transformation across Scotland’s health and care services.

Professor Nicholas Mills, Programme Co-Director said: “This is a really important initiative at a critical time for our health and social care services in Scotland. Our aim is to train and support a generation of leaders from across the health and care sector, so that they are able to harness routinely collected data and digital technologies to solve some of the major challenges we are facing.”

Scotland’s recently published first health and social care data strategy recognises that digital and data-driven leadership is critical at all levels of health and social care to drive forward service transformation. This programme is designed to equip participants with the skills and knowledge required to become innovative transformation leaders, while providing the opportunity to translate these into practice for the benefit of their organisation, the wider system and, ultimately, the citizens of Scotland.

Humza Yousaf, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, said: “I am pleased to welcome the MSc course in Leading Digital Transformation delivered by the University of Edinburgh. We have been working in partnership for many years with NHS Education for Scotland and others across health and social care to drive forward workforce developments. The £1m investment in our cross sector Building Digital Skills and Leadership Programme over the last two years is just another example of our long-standing commitment to support staff development and further build on our aims for service transformation.”

Funded by the Scottish Government and led by NHS Education for Scotland, the programme will be delivered by the University of Edinburgh’s Health and Social Care Data Driven Innovation Talent Programme, based at the Usher Institute.

Karen Reid, Chief Executive of NHS Education for Scotland said: “This opportunity will empower participants and give them the skills required to drive and deliver transformational change within their organisation and beyond.  We recognise the need within the sector to develop digital leadership, it’s critical to transform our services and empower our leaders to be brave and bold and do things differently.”

The Usher Institute has an extensive track record of delivering innovative professional development programmes for the health and care workforce and aspiring in-practice health and care leaders. Participants will join a vibrant learning community of skilled people who are driving digital innovation and transformation across health and care.