The Data Strategy’s vision is ‘to improve the care and wellbeing of people in Scotland by making best use of data in the design and delivery of services’. One of the biggest challenges that people using and delivering services face is data being held in multiple systems across the sector that are unable to communicate with each other – resulting in a siloed approach to health and social care rather than an integrated one. For people using health and social care services, this means that accessing services is complicated and often requires them to repeatedly share information with professionals. For people delivering health and care, this results in duplication, which is a poor use of over-stretched resources.

A key priority of the Strategy is improving information sharing by ensuring data accuracy, interoperability, and accessibility across care sectors to improve outcomes. Two major programmes of work that COSLA and the Digital Office for Scottish Local Government are currently leading on supports this objective – the use of the Community Health Index number (CHI) in local government; and the development of the Telecare Information Framework (TIF).

Over the last couple of years, we’ve been exploring how local government can harness CHI. The CHI number has been providing consistent patient identification across NHS Scotland for over 40 years. CHI has migrated to a modern platform that can drive forward reform and support transformation across health and social care. We want to harness the potential of this new platform to support better data matching and sharing.

We believe that utilising CHI in local government for verification and information sharing will reduce the need for people to repeat information multiple times, reduce duplication in the system, and ensure that people delivering services have access to the right information at the right time to provide the right care.

As telecare services shift from analogue to digital systems, the quality, accuracy, and accessibility of data become increasingly critical. Digital infrastructure enables real-time data sharing, faster response times, and better integration with health and social care systems, enhancing both the reach and quality of services. For service providers, focusing on data improvement ensures that they can deliver more effective, timely, and personalised care, while supporting proactive and preventative interventions. The TIF aims to establish a unified, data-driven foundation for telecare services across Scotland that enhances person-centred, safe, and integrated care delivery.

The TIF provides a foundational, interoperable dataset that supports a streamlined and co-ordinated telecare service. By aligning with broader health and social care data, it enables seamless information sharing, efficient service delivery, and enhances care continuity across organisational and geographic boundaries. It also supports national data needs for benchmarking, research, and statistical reporting.

Implementing TIF is crucial as it establishes a universal standard for telecare data across Scotland, fostering consistency, safety, and person-centred care across the health and social care sector. This framework sets the stage for enhanced service co-ordination, and lays the groundwork for future innovations in telecare services. We are now on track to have the TIF embedded into the Shared Alarm Receiving Centre, with around 100,000 connections by Winter this year.