Welcome to our newsletter, where we provide you with the latest from Digital Telecare for Scottish Local Government. In this edition, we bring you a recap of the events within the Digital Telecare Programme over the past month, along with insights of upcoming activities.
If you have any queries regarding any of the content within this newsletter, please get in touch.
Our Digital Telecare Project Manager, Chris Duffy, was delighted to attend the DHI Rural Centre of Excellence Showcase in Moray on 10th and 11th June.
The event brought together around 80 participants from across health and social care, the third sector, industry, academia, policy, and people with lived experience. This diverse audience enabled rich discussion and shared learning, particularly around embedding expertise into practice and co-designing innovative solutions that can make a meaningful difference.
Conversations highlighted the potential to deliver wide-ranging benefits, not only improving health and social care outcomes, but also driving efficiency, productivity, and broader economic impact.
The showcase provided valuable insight into the progress and achievements of those involved. It was particularly encouraging to hear about the learning emerging from the living labs and skills development work, demonstrating how collaboration and innovation are supporting real-world change in rural communities.
We look forward to continuing to build on these insights and working collaboratively to support innovation across Scotland’s telecare landscape.
MyCare.scot available on app store.
The MyCare.scot app can now be downloaded onto smartphones, giving people across Scotland direct access to their health information on their phone.
The first version of the free app will allow people to view their medications and allergies, check their vaccination history and use the national service finder to find local health and wellbeing services.
It follows the successful roll-out of a web-based service that began in NHS Lanarkshire in December 2025 and began roll-out nationally in April. The app will continue to develop through to 2030, to enable users to check appointments, provide information about themselves and receive digital letters through MyCare.scot.
Unlocking Value with the Telecare Benefits Framework
As part of our countdown to the digital telecare transition, this month we’re spotlighting the Telecare Benefits Framework (PLAY154), a key tool helping organisations evidence the real impact of telecare.
The framework provides a structured, evidence-based approach to measuring outcomes, from improved wellbeing and independence to reduced pressure on health and care services and greater efficiency.
Recent findings highlight significant benefits, including improved service user outcomes, fewer emergency callouts, and reduced hospital demand, demonstrating that digital telecare is a transformational opportunity, not just a technical upgrade.
Explore the Telecare Benefits Framework in the Digital Telecare Playbook and start strengthening your business case, service design, and transition plans today.
Housing Blog - June Housing - It's All About You: Are you Ready for Digital Telecare?
As the analogue switch-off date approaches, Digital Telecare is urging housing partners across Scotland to act now.
Engagement is improving, with around 60% of organisations actively working with us. However, over 70 providers remain unengaged, and some ARCs have yet to submit essential data, leaving gaps in the national picture at a critical time.
Why this matters
Understanding where analogue systems remain, and where migration plans are in place, is vital to ensuring a safe and effective transition for tenants.
Key actions for providers
Confirm any analogue systems and share migration plans
Review temporary solutions (e.g. ATAs or PDPL)
Submit quarterly ARC monitoring data
Get in touch if telecare is not part of your provision
A shift in approach
Housing providers are moving from universal provision to person-centred telecare. Digital dispersed alarms offer faster installation, greater flexibility, and more responsive support, helping deliver the right support, to the right people.
Support and next steps
Digital Telecare continues to support partners with migration planning, supplier engagement, and shared learning. A Ministerial letter will shortly reinforce the urgency of taking action.
Discovery Programme: Building the foundations for joined-up care.
The CHI in Local Government Discovery programme has now moved from initial mobilisation into an active programme of work, bringing together partners from across local government, health and care.
A Delivery Board is now in place, with broad representation across sectors, and a Technical Advisory Group is being established to ensure the programme reflects real-world experience from those working in services.
This phase of the programme is about understanding what works. We are exploring how CHI, Scotland’s unique health identifier, could be used more consistently across services, focusing on key areas such as social work referrals, hospital discharge, and how organisations share and use information.
Crucially, we are also identifying the practical steps organisations would need to take - from information governance through to technical implementation - so that future adoption is clearer, safer and more efficient.
By doing this work up front, the programme is laying the groundwork to support councils and partners in the future, avoiding duplication of effort and reducing risk.
This is not about immediate rollout. Instead, it is about building shared understanding and practical guidance that can support wider change, including national ambitions around integrated care and the Digital Front Door.
As part of this, we will begin to share early, foundational outputs through the CHI Integration Playbook. These will be introduced gradually and will continue to develop as we learn more.
As this work develops, we are keen to stay connected with the sector. If you are already using CHI, or would like to be involved in shaping this work through the Technical Advisory Group, we would welcome hearing from you at info@digitaloffice.scot .
Supporting People with Dementia: The Herbert Protocol and Digital Telecare.
As we continue to support the safe transition to digital telecare services, ensuring the wellbeing of citizens remains a key priority. One simple but highly effective initiative that complements this work is the Herbert Protocol.
The Herbert Protocol, introduced in 2017 and now widely used across Scotland and the UK, helps police and partner agencies quickly locate a person with dementia if they are reported missing. It aligns closely with the principles of digital telecare, using the right information, at the right time, to deliver faster, more effective support.
How it works Families, carers, or support networks are encouraged to complete a Herbert Protocol form, capturing vital information such as:
Places that are familiar or meaningful
Regularly visited locations
Health and care needs
Previous places they may have been found
This information is held by families and can be shared immediately with emergency services if required, helping to reduce delays and improve outcomes when every minute counts.
A complementary approach to digital telecare While digital telecare solutions, such as GPS-enabled devices, proactive monitoring, and connected alarm systems play an increasing role in supporting independent living, the Herbert Protocol provides an additional, low-tech safeguard.
Together, they offer a joined-up, person-centred approach:
Digital telecare supports prevention, monitoring, and early intervention
The Herbert Protocol enables a rapid, informed response in emergency situations
This combination strengthens resilience across care systems and ensures individuals are supported both proactively and reactively.
Making a difference in Scotland Since its introduction, the Herbert Protocol has helped trace missing individuals with dementia and return them home safely. It is a strong example of how collaboration between emergency services, local authorities, and care providers, supported by digital innovation, can improve outcomes and provide reassurance to families.
Find out more You can learn more about the Herbert Protocol by visiting the Police Scotland website using the link below.
Applications are now open for the Leading Digital Transformation in Health and Care for Scotland (PGCert), a fully funded one-year postgraduate programme delivered by the University of Edinburgh.
Designed for current and aspiring leaders, this programme supports those ready to drive change at pace, influence digital transformation, and deliver real impact across health and social care.
Why apply?
Build the skills to lead digital transformation at scale
Apply learning in real-time to deliver organisational and system-wide impact
Develop as a sector-wide leader with influence beyond your role
Connect with a national network of change leaders across Scotland
This is the final cohort of the programme and places are competitive, ideal for individuals who can demonstrate leadership, impact, and a commitment to wider system change.
Stay Connected:Telecare Service Provider (TSP) & Meet the Supplier (MTS) Meeting, 15th July 2026.
Mark your diaries for our upcoming TSP & MTS meeting, which will take place on Teams on Wednesday 15th July 2026 at 10am and 10.30am.
These gatherings present an invaluable opportunity to connect with fellow TSPs, discuss ongoing projects, and review our collective progress to date. We will feature guest speakers, facilitate focused discussion, and highlight key work within the telecare community.
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