Leading Digital Transformation in Health and Care for Scotland [PGCert, PGDip, MSc]

The launch event for Cohort 1 of the postgraduate programme Leading Digital Transformation in Health and Care for Scotland took place on 21 March 2023.

The event brought together guest speakers and senior leaders to set the scene for the programme and its ambitions. Participants gained valuable insights into digital health and care developments across four European countries and had the opportunity to connect with their peer support group, as well as network with academic staff, subject matter experts, and senior leaders from across the system.

Feedback was gathered from participants at the end of each course in Year 1, with key quotes highlighting the programme’s personal and organisational impact:

“My participation on the course has allowed me to strategically inform our 5-year strategy which has recently launched, not only is this ambitious but it takes the full organisation on the journey, every department, every staff member, and every [service user].”

“I have become more involved in influencing other digital programmes and projects as part of the bigger picture.”

“[I’ve gained] realisation of how far away our organisation is from being digitally mature and the potential for digital to fundamentally change how health and social care operates.”

“This course has made me think about the bigger picture of digital transformation within my organisation. I now incorporate this into my day-to-day decision making.”

When asked about their readiness to take on more senior digital leadership roles after completing the first course:

26% felt significantly equipped

60% felt somewhat equipped

These responses reflect the programme’s growing impact in building strategic digital leadership capacity across the sector.

Cohort 1 of the PGCert programme concluded Year 1 in June with a Celebration and Impact event held at the historic Playfair Building, University of Edinburgh.

Participants were joined by their executive sponsors and senior leaders from across the health, social care, and housing sectors to reflect on achievements and share learning.

The event featured a keynote address from Dr. John Halamka, President of the Mayo Clinic Platform (USA), who shared international insights on digital transformation in health and care.

In response to questions about the impact of new skills and knowledge gained by participants, specific organisational changes, and overall feedback on the programme, executive sponsors shared the following insights:

“This was a ground breaking approach to bring people from across sectors together all with the common goal of improving knowledge and skill as digital leaders. The number of man hours committed to developing this programme… would be wasted if we did not continue. It will take several cohorts to make a big difference, but the difference will have longevity… In my view it will not realise its non-financial value for a number of years but this is truly worth it and this was never a quick fix.”

“We are currently reviewing our operational processes internally, including how we communicate, store and share information. [The candidate] has brought skills and knowledge to help us mainstream and accelerate our operations.”

“[The participant has brought] Improved understanding of the problems we have, the source of the problems not just the symptoms so a more holistic, user centred approach can be taken.”