Digital Health and Care Leadership Programme (DLP)

Applications for Cohort 26 are now closed.

If you would like to be notified when Cohort 27 applications open, please see our register of interest. 

Session dates for Cohort 26 can be found below. 

Due to high demand successful applicants may be offered a place on a future cohort.

Please find the application process steps below: 

1. Download the application form template found below and prepare your responses to the application questions

2. Obtain support from your line manager and digital lead (or a senior manager) for your application including supporting comments

3. Upload all your responses into the online application form 

We encourage you to think about your answers in advance using the application template. This will allow you to copy and paste your answers into the online form when you are ready to submit. Please note, the online form may time out so please ensure you have all the required information before you start.

You are required to obtain agreement from your line manager as well as organisational consent (a digital lead or equivalent, e.g. a senior manager, in your organisation) in advance of submitting your application.  As part of your application you are required to provide a supporting statement from both which can be copied into the form. If you do not have this your application will not be accepted.

When you submit your application form, both your line manager and organisational support will be sent a confirmation email. You can find further information under the section “Who needs to support my application” further down on this page.

We will not accept applications by email. If you have any accessibility requirements, please contact us at nes.dlp@nhs.scot.

* Please note that applications written using generative AI will not be accepted.

Who should apply?
Applications are welcome from employees within NHS Scotland, social care, social work, housing, charities and third sector organisations, and we also welcome team applications who plan to work on their project together (please submit an application for each team member).

This programme is designed for anyone who is:

• Interested in digital health and care
• Keen to explore how technology can benefit people
• Prepared to progress a digital improvement project in their organisation
• Would like to develop their leadership skills
• The programme is funded by the Scottish Government and there is no charge to participants.

The programme is run virtually using MS Teams and involves:

• Live learning sessions
• Peer support groups
• Resources for self-study
• Networking opportunities

Team Applications 
We also welcome applications from teams if you are intending to work with colleagues on a project who would also like to join the programme. Individuals should submit their own application form to the programme with their own responses to the questions, indicating on the form that they are applying as part of a team and name their team members. All team members are expected to engage with the programme sessions and learning.

Application Writing 
If you need guidance on application writing NES has a helpful resource on 'Writing great applications for learning opportunities'. Please note you will need to have a Turas account and login to access this resource.

Below you'll find guidance specifically for the DLP as a downloadable pdf or video with some top tips for your application.

You will need support from both:

• Your line manager
• Organisational support (a digital lead or equivalent, e.g. a senior manager, in your organisation)

Your organisational support will play a key role in ensuring your project is both feasible and aligned with your organisation’s strategy. Both your line manager and organisational support must provide supporting statements to you in advance which you can copy into your application form.

Non-NHS applicants (e.g. third sector, social care, social work, housing, any other health or care setting) must be supported by a digital lead in their organisation or equivalent such as a strategic manager who will be able to support their project. If this is the same person as your line manager, please indicate this on your application.  

NHS applicants must be supported by a digital lead or relevant head of department or director. Please contact your eHealth teams to find the relevant person.

NMAHPs have a list of dedicated digital leads which are available below. 

Dental applicants (Dentists and DCPs) may seek support from their local board’s Dental Practice Adviser or a Director of Dentistry.

If you are unsure on who to approach in your organisation to support your application, please contact nes.dlp@nhs.scot

As part of the programme, participants are required to identify an area in their service or organisation which could be improved with a digital health and care solution. The solution should use technology to benefit people (e.g. citizens, patients, service users, staff). Participants are able to use the early stages of the programme to develop their project aim.

We would encourage you seek the experience of others through the past project pages or other work you are aware of and make reference to this if appropriate in your application. You may wish to focus on a small aspect of the suggested projects during your time on the DLP – other projects are also welcome, including projects which you are already involved with.

• Introducing digital referral methods to a service
• Introducing remote health monitoring for patients/service users to reduce travel to in-person appointments, improve self-management and detect early warning signs
• Harnessing service user data (e.g., creating dashboards) in a way which allows improvements to services to be made
• Leading on a system roll out in your organisation
• Adoption of an M365 app in your service
• Evaluation of a digital service which has been introduced into your organisation
• Roll out of technology enabled care devices or service to enable people to remain independent and safe at home
• Adoption of a decision support tool
• Introducing and evaluating Near Me remote consultations / Near Me group consultations for patients/service users to improve access to services
• Introducing, improving or evaluating digital technology to share targeted and specific treatment/intervention based information with people using services (ie not a generic website where people might get broad information but something more specific where they get e.g. rehab exercises
• Utilising prescribing data to improve patient care

Example of previous projects can be found on the DLP Projects page.

We encourage projects which focus on the adoption or creation of a decision support tool. You can find out more about the Right Decision Service here and in the downloadable document below.