Digital Front Door

Digital Front Door

Our refreshed Digital Health and Care Strategy gives a commitment to developing a ‘Digital Front Door’ for people to use as a single means of access to their health and care information and to health and care services.

In November 2022, the Digital Front Door Programme Board approved a Users and Stakeholder Engagement Strategy.  The definitions and descriptions of some key terms relevant to Digital Front Door and Engagement are available here.

What is the Digital Front Door?

The Digital Front Door is a key commitment in the Digital Health and Care Strategy to deliver a platform for people to get access to their health and care information and to health and care services, directly.  It will allow people to access, self-manage, and contribute to their own health and care information online.  You can read about the Digital Front Door as well as our other commitments in the Digital Health and Care Delivery Plan.

When will it be available?

We are currently agreeing the business and finance case and aim to have the programme available by the end of this parliamentary term.  The Digital Front Door will be developed iteratively based on user demand and feedback.

Why are we developing a Digital Front Door?

We learned a great deal during the pandemic about digital innovation and delivery at pace, and people’s preference for easy access to information and services.  We recognise that people would prefer a single means of getting access to information, services and support rather than using multiple systems.  The Digital Front Door demonstrates the vision and priorities of the Digital Health and Care Strategy and allows us to build upon that experience.

Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA)

Under the Equalities Act (2010), the Scottish Government has a legal duty to show due regard to the elimination of discrimination, the advancement of equality of opportunity and to foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. As the Digital Front Door is a new policy there is a requirement to carry out an Equality Impact Assessment.

During 2023, engagement in the Equality Impact Assessment has been wide-ranging and included representatives from all protected characteristic groups. The evidence gathering is ongoing with the first version published in August.

Digital Front Door EQIA – Underpinning Evidence August 2023

Starting the EQIA process as early as possible demonstrates best practice, and the process will be ongoing throughout the life cycle of the Programme. The insights from the EQIA will be core to informing the co-design, user testing, delivery, and raising awareness of the Digital Front Door.

Once candidate service(s) are agreed upon, the EQIA and updated evidence will be reviewed, updated, and published. Outline mitigations are indicative and will require further engagement, associated resourcing implications and sign-off.

Oversight is from the Equalities and Inclusion Advisory Board.