The Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI), is focused on promoting funding opportunities to advance digital health and social care collaboration and innovation. By helping innovators secure the necessary funding, we enable transformative projects that enhance personalised patient care and healthcare delivery. Home / Funding The Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) is dedicated to promoting funding opportunities that drive collaboration and innovation in digital health and social care. Here, you will find The Data Lab's funding finder tool to streamline your search for UK funding opportunities, as well as information on our Master's Scholarship funding. The Data Lab funding finder Finding the right funding can be challenging. To simplify the process, DHI has partnered with The Data Lab to provide you with their funding finder tool. This tool is designed to help you navigate the UK funding system using advanced data and AI, making connecting with relevant opportunities directly from our site easier. Find funding Master’s scholarships The Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) offers Master's Scholarships to support a talent pipeline and nurture future leaders into the sector. Once you secure a spot on a relevant course, contact your course organiser who will apply for the scholarship on your behalf. Access master's funding

Kelly WalkerProject Support Officer < Return to team Kelly Walker Project Support Officer Kelly is the Project Support Officer for Digital Lifelines Scotland and works for Programme Management Services within NHS National Services Scotland. Digital Lifelines Scotland is a programme supported by the Digital Health and Care Directorate within the Scottish Government and managed by DHI. She has worked in project management for 7 years and has a vast array of experience of national initiatives within the public sector. Email LinkedIn Related Projects Next team member Previous team page Team page

For healthcare innovations to be successful, the voices of those receiving or delivering such innovations need to be heard much earlier in the design process. This is not easy as there are likely to be multiple stakeholders involved, and their different backgrounds make it difficult to challenge or evaluate potential innovation in the early stage of development. This paper positions the Experience Lab as a means of co-creating sustainable, innovative solutions to healthcare challenges. The Experience Lab offers participants, both receiving and delivering healthcare, the opportunity to engage in the design process, share insights, experience new concepts, and imagine new ways of responding to challenges. The material artefacts and bespoke tools provide the conditions through which to create new meanings and shared experiences. This paper presents the Experience Lab approach, artefacts, and tools, providing examples of these in context. < Return to resources Experience Labs: Co-creating Health and Care Innovations using Design Tools and Artefacts French, Tara and Teal, Gemma and Raman, Sneha For healthcare innovations to be successful, the voices of those receiving or delivering such innovations need to be heard much earlier in the design process. This is not easy as there are likely to be multiple stakeholders involved, and their different backgrounds make it difficult to challenge or evaluate potential innovation in the early stage of development. This paper positions the Experience Lab as a means of co-creating sustainable, innovative solutions to healthcare challenges. The Experience Lab offers participants, both receiving and delivering healthcare, the opportunity to engage in the design process, share insights, experience new concepts, and imagine new ways of responding to challenges. The material artefacts and bespoke tools provide the conditions through which to create new meanings and shared experiences. This paper presents the Experience Lab approach, artefacts, and tools, providing examples of these in context. View resource Previous item Next item Experience Labs: Co-creating Health and Care Innovations using Design Tools and Artefacts Paper 2016 Start Now

Professor George Crooks OBEChief Executive Officer < Return to team Professor George Crooks OBE Chief Executive Officer Professor George Crooks is currently the Chief Executive of the Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre, Scotland’s national innovation centre for digital health and care. He leads an organisation that is tasked with delivering innovation in digital health and care that will help Scotland’s people to live longer, healthier lives, deliver sustainable health and care services for the future and create economic benefits for Scotland. He was previously the Medical Director for NHS 24, the Scottish Ambulance Service and Director of the Scottish Centre for Telehealth & Telecare. George was a General Medical Practitioner for 23 years in Aberdeen latterly combining that role as Director of Primary Care for Grampian. George is on the Board of the European Connected Health Alliance and is a past president of the European Health Telematics Association. He was an assessor for the European Commission on programmes involving digital health and care provision, led the Integrated Care Action Group in the European Innovation Partnership for Active and Healthy Ageing and is a member of the WHO roster of experts for digital health. He has been an advisor to several European governments and global organisations including the World Bank on digital health and care. He is an advisor to Innovate UK for its Industrial Grand Challenge programme for Health Ageing. He is also an adjunct Professor of Telehealth at the University of Southern Denmark. He was awarded an OBE in the Queen's New Year Honours List 2011 for services to healthcare. Email LinkedIn Related Projects Next team member Previous team page Team page

Summarisation of documents of high importance for the business case. < Return to resources Summary of NHS Scotland (NHSS) procurement strategies Morrison, Ciarán Summarisation of documents of high importance for the business case. View resource Previous item Next item Summary of NHS Scotland (NHSS) procurement strategies Executive summary 2016 Start Now

The report presents a high-level review of patient-centred Electronic Health Records for NHS Grampian. The report showcases 13 case studies on the design of person-centred electronic health records as used by multidisciplinary health and care teams. < Return to resources Person-Centred Records: A High-level Review of Use Cases Rimpiläinen, Sanna The report presents a high-level review of patient-centred Electronic Health Records for NHS Grampian. The report showcases 13 case studies on the design of person-centred electronic health records as used by multidisciplinary health and care teams. View resource Previous item Next item Person-Centred Records: A High-level Review of Use Cases Report 2019 Start Now

Recent studies within the UK have indicated that there is a need to incorporate patient stories into health records, to improve quality and continuity of care. This is particularly important when treating people with multiple long‐term health conditions (multimorbidity), whose health stories can be particularly complex. The objective of the study was to understand the goals and requirements of people with multimorbidity for digital health storytelling tools. The findings indicate that people living with multimorbidity would use health storytelling tools to understand and reflect on their journeys, convey their experiences to others and advocate for themselves against scepticism. Future research could explore other areas such as collaborative health storytelling or the technical implementation of tools. < Return to resources Patient co-design of digital health storytelling tools for multimorbidity: A phenomenological study Cummings, Marissa, Bradley, Jay and Teal, Gemma Recent studies within the UK have indicated that there is a need to incorporate patient stories into health records, to improve quality and continuity of care. This is particularly important when treating people with multiple long‐term health conditions (multimorbidity), whose health stories can be particularly complex. The objective of the study was to understand the goals and requirements of people with multimorbidity for digital health storytelling tools. The findings indicate that people living with multimorbidity would use health storytelling tools to understand and reflect on their journeys, convey their experiences to others and advocate for themselves against scepticism. Future research could explore other areas such as collaborative health storytelling or the technical implementation of tools. View resource Previous item Next item Patient co-design of digital health storytelling tools for multimorbidity: A phenomenological study Paper 2022 Start Now

Kara MackenzieProject Co-ordinator < Return to team Kara Mackenzie Project Co-ordinator Kara provides support to our project portfolio, with a focus on approved projects. She ensures all projects run smoothly, milestones are achieved, and partners get the most out of their collaborations. She keeps our network updated on all potential funding matters including signposting and supporting funding applications. Email LinkedIn Related Projects Next team member Previous team page Team page

Anna SturzakerInnovation Design Associate < Return to team Anna Sturzaker Innovation Design Associate Anna holds an MA (Hons) in History from the University of Edinburgh and has a background in youth work, supporting young people to overcome barriers to employment. She previously contributed to The Promise, co-designing improvements to the onboarding process at The King’s Trust, where she developed a strong interest in design and innovation and achieved a Professional Development Award in Service Design. Anna is a member of our design team and works on the SUMIT (Substance Use and Mental Health) project — an interdisciplinary, cross-border research initiative. She supports the participatory design processes centred on lived experience, helping to address structural barriers, enhance service access, and advance digital inclusion and health and social care transformation. Email LinkedIn Related Projects Next team member Previous team page Team page

A digital health and community-based R&D project demonstrating how supported self-management, lifestyle interventions, and digital innovation can improve diet, weight, and overall wellbeing while reducing pressure on NHS services. < Return to projects Living Lab 1: Supported Self-Management Project impact Delivered measurable health outcomes, with participants achieving an average weight loss of 4.1kg and improved lifestyle metrics through a digitally enabled, community-centred intervention. Reduced pressure on NHS services by shifting care into community settings, achieving a 43% programme completion rate—around double typical engagement benchmarks. Generated significant economic and innovation impact, securing £16.45M in additional funding and delivering an estimated £41.65 return for every £1 invested. A digital health and community-based R&D project demonstrating how supported self-management, lifestyle interventions, and digital innovation can improve diet, weight, and overall wellbeing while reducing pressure on NHS services. The Heart of Moray programme demonstrates how digital tools and community-based support can help people improve their diet, weight, and overall wellbeing. By combining technology, local services, and clinical expertise, the project achieved strong engagement and measurable health outcomes while reducing pressure on NHS services and creating a scalable model for population health improvement. Summary The programme delivered positive health, system, and economic outcomes. A total of 537 individuals engaged with the programme, with 230 completing the eight-week intervention. Participants achieved an average weight loss of 4.1kg and a 3.7% reduction in BMI, alongside improvements in physical activity, strength, and overall wellbeing. From a system perspective, the community-based delivery model helped reduce demand on NHS services while generating an estimated 4.7 Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs), equivalent to approximately £93,000 in social value. The programme also achieved higher levels of engagement and retention than many traditional approaches. Economically, an initial investment of £395,000 helped leverage £16.45 million in additional funding, supported the recruitment of eight staff members, generated local revenue growth, and demonstrated a scalable digital health model that has since been applied across multiple campaigns. Impact & value The programme successfully delivered three population health campaigns across Moray and developed a co-created digital platform to support lifestyle improvement and long-term condition management. More than 500 participants engaged with the programme, achieving strong retention and completion rates alongside measurable improvements in weight, physical activity, and overall wellbeing. The project also established effective partnerships between the NHS, community organisations, and technology providers, creating a collaborative model for innovation. Building on these successes, the programme secured significant follow-on funding to expand obesity pathway innovation and contribute to wider national population health initiatives. Progress to date Next steps Partners Project staff Resources Population Health Management poster Mental Health & Wellbeing Living Lab Bridge Moray Poster Previous project Projects index page Next project

This blog post discusses the sustainability of health and care services is increasingly expected to be achievable only with digitally supported change. Relating to the emerging digital capabilities discussed in the previous blog post, the DHI Demonstration & Simulation Environment is focused on three service redesign pillars. < Return to resources Service Redesign Pillars Chute, Chaloner This blog post discusses the sustainability of health and care services is increasingly expected to be achievable only with digitally supported change. Relating to the emerging digital capabilities discussed in the previous blog post, the DHI Demonstration & Simulation Environment is focused on three service redesign pillars. View resource Previous item Next item Service Redesign Pillars Blog post 2018 Start Now

Scotland’s Digital Mental Health Innovation Cluster (DMHIC) was established in March 2022 to drive the development, evaluation, and adoption of digital technologies in support of mental health service transformation. Governed by a multi-sector programme board and supported by an advisory board, the cluster aligns cross sector collaboration with national priorities and digital research and innovation (R&I) opportunities. Scotland’s Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) provides cluster management on behalf of the Scottish Government. This report examines the current landscape of Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) services across five NHS health boards in Scotland, highlighting systemic challenges, patient experiences, and emerging opportunities for service improvement and innovation. < Return to resources Adult ADHD Scottish Pathway Research : A review of the current landscape of approaches to Adult ADHD care across health boards in Scotland Scotland’s Digital Mental Health Innovation Cluster (DMHIC) was established in March 2022 to drive the development, evaluation, and adoption of digital technologies in support of mental health service transformation. Governed by a multi-sector programme board and supported by an advisory board, the cluster aligns cross sector collaboration with national priorities and digital research and innovation (R&I) opportunities. Scotland’s Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) provides cluster management on behalf of the Scottish Government. This report examines the current landscape of Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) services across five NHS health boards in Scotland, highlighting systemic challenges, patient experiences, and emerging opportunities for service improvement and innovation. View resource Previous item Next item Adult ADHD Scottish Pathway Research : A review of the current landscape of approaches to Adult ADHD care across health boards in Scotland Report 2025 Start Now

Technology has played a key role in enabling public health to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic at a pace and scale never seen before. The DHI assisted with development of two new digital services to enable testing and contact tracing at scale. The innovative methods for development of digital health tools included adopting an iterative approach, addressing the situational requirements posed by COVID-19, and democratising technology for purposes of pandemic control. A National Notification Service (NNS) for automation of delivery and feedback (if results messages were viewed) was developed and adopted by five of the 14 health boards in Scotland, processing over 7 million results since inception. The Simple Tracing Tools (STT) is an open-platform web-based app that is designed for data entry by contact tracing teams. STT was adopted by all local health protection teams and informed development of the national case management system. < Return to resources Using Innovation to Develop Digital Tools for Public Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic Mark, Kate, Bradley, Jay, Chute, Chaloner, Sumpter, Colin, Adil, Mahmood and Crooks, George Technology has played a key role in enabling public health to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic at a pace and scale never seen before. The DHI assisted with development of two new digital services to enable testing and contact tracing at scale. The innovative methods for development of digital health tools included adopting an iterative approach, addressing the situational requirements posed by COVID-19, and democratising technology for purposes of pandemic control. A National Notification Service (NNS) for automation of delivery and feedback (if results messages were viewed) was developed and adopted by five of the 14 health boards in Scotland, processing over 7 million results since inception. The Simple Tracing Tools (STT) is an open-platform web-based app that is designed for data entry by contact tracing teams. STT was adopted by all local health protection teams and informed development of the national case management system. View resource Previous item Next item Using Innovation to Develop Digital Tools for Public Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic Paper 2021 Start Now

This report details the activity and outcomes of a series of design led workshops involving stakeholders of Cardiology services in the NHS Scotland. Participants came from 14 specialists’ areas and 6 different NHS Board areas, giving both a broad geographic and functional reach. The first step for the workshops was to identify common Cardiology patient symptoms, noting their importance. Issues were mapped for each symptom and areas to focus on agreed upon. Further discussion around these focus areas led to suggestions for sustainable improvement to Cardiology services. These ranged from supported patient-led follow-up to enhanced clinical triage. Future work will involve national support to ensure the Cardiology community, along with primary care partners are supported to make the necessary changes to ensure efficient and effective patient pathways are achieved. < Return to resources Scottish Access Collaborative Cardiology: Final Report Porteous, Alex and Blank, Line and Schauberger, Ute and Smith, Paul and Brooks, Elizabeth This report details the activity and outcomes of a series of design led workshops involving stakeholders of Cardiology services in the NHS Scotland. Participants came from 14 specialists’ areas and 6 different NHS Board areas, giving both a broad geographic and functional reach. The first step for the workshops was to identify common Cardiology patient symptoms, noting their importance. Issues were mapped for each symptom and areas to focus on agreed upon. Further discussion around these focus areas led to suggestions for sustainable improvement to Cardiology services. These ranged from supported patient-led follow-up to enhanced clinical triage. Future work will involve national support to ensure the Cardiology community, along with primary care partners are supported to make the necessary changes to ensure efficient and effective patient pathways are achieved. View resource Previous item Next item Scottish Access Collaborative Cardiology: Final Report Report 2018 Start Now

The North West Europe Interreg CHANCE Project, completed in May 2022, focused on Hospital at Home innovation for heart failure patients in the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium. It developed SME capabilities, tested home hospitalisation platforms in three hospitals, and collaborated with DHI to establish global protocols. < Return to projects The NWE-Chance (Interreg NWE) and the Digital Innovation Hub Project impact Supports collaboration and knowledge exchange between SMEs and hospitals Ensures continuous growth of industry-hospital partnerships Delivers an Implementation Roadmap to replicate innovations in other regions and initiate similar projects and living labs The North West Europe Interreg CHANCE Project, completed in May 2022, focused on Hospital at Home innovation for heart failure patients in the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium. It developed SME capabilities, tested home hospitalisation platforms in three hospitals, and collaborated with DHI to establish global protocols. The North West Europe Interreg CHANCE Project was completed in May 2022. The project focused on Hospital at Home innovation for heart failure patients with partners in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium. The project brought stakeholders together to co-create the knowledge needed to enable innovation in-home care to happen in North-West Europe. The project contributed to developing SME capabilities and increasing their involvement in cooperative projects in the region. During the project, two SMEs and one larger company collaborated with three hospitals and two universities to develop and test a home hospitalisation platform. Pilots ran in three different hospitals to test the technical feasibility of the developed technologies and the organisational feasibility of home hospitalisation for heart failure patients. DHI led the Digital Innovation Hub for Home Hospitalisation (DIH) and collaborated with partners to establish protocols, developments and specifications enabling global collaborations in hospital-at-home activities across industry, health services and academia. Summary This Digital Innovation Hub was developed by DHI and was launched to: • Support the collaboration and knowledge exchange between SMEs and hospitals • Ensure continuity and growth of the collaboration between industry and hospitals • Deliver an Implementation Roadmap to multiply the innovations in other regions and initiate similar projects and living labs • Develop an infrastructure to enable knowledge sharing and collaboration to be replicable across other activities such as projects and disease groups of other areas of digital health and care. Impact & value The DHI project was completed in May 2022, after which the Digital Innovation Hub (DIH) transitioned into business as usual within DHI. Building on the success of the original project, DIH continues to support wider knowledge sharing across digital health and care communities, projects and engagement activity. This work has since expanded and now represents a core function of the DHI website. It supports a range of dedicated communities and initiatives, including the Digital Mental Health Innovation Cluster, the Rural Centre of Excellence and the Healthy Ageing Innovation Cluster, helping to connect people, share learning and accelerate innovation across the system. Progress to date Next steps Partners Project staff Resources Digital Innovation Hub for Home Hospitalisation (DIH) Previous project Projects index page Next project

Chaloner ChuteChief Technology Officer < Return to team Chaloner Chute Chief Technology Officer Chal leads on DHI’s technical strategy and is responsible for the way we support and deliver technical innovation, by applying systems thinking and methodologies in support of the DHI innovation model. He is devoted to the idea that citizens can be empowered to take an active role in their own well-being. Chal believes that digital health offers the tools to achieve this, and the DHI has the fresh perspective necessary to reconceive the relationship between the citizens and those who might care for them. He brings a range of skills including a Master’s in Healthcare Management & Leadership and a Master’s in Public Health Policy: Health Systems. He has spent seven years working in digital innovation, seven years working in Scottish Government public policy and healthcare service delivery and has led the design, development, integration and roll-out of many digital health and care services with several now in use at scale across Scotland. Email LinkedIn Related Projects Next team member Previous team page Team page

This document contains microlearning units to explore meta skills required to cope with future working life. These microlearning materials were collectively produced by lecturers participating in the FUTUREquipped project, and are now made available to any learner under the Creative Commons licence. Units available include: Unit 1: Adaptability Unit 2: Curiosity Unit 3: Creativity (Innovation) Unit 4: Communication (Social Intelligence) Unit 5: Collaboration (Social Skills) < Return to resources Metaskills: Learning Materials - FUTUREquipped Project This document contains microlearning units to explore meta skills required to cope with future working life. These microlearning materials were collectively produced by lecturers participating in the FUTUREquipped project, and are now made available to any learner under the Creative Commons licence. Units available include: Unit 1: Adaptability Unit 2: Curiosity Unit 3: Creativity (Innovation) Unit 4: Communication (Social Intelligence) Unit 5: Collaboration (Social Skills) View resource Previous item Next item Metaskills: Learning Materials - FUTUREquipped Project Report 2019 Start Now