IHDP and Research Data Scotland partner to unlock the power of health data

This new partnership strengthens collaboration to improve data access, drive healthcare innovation, and embed ethical, inclusive design across Scotland’s health system.

What the partnership involves

Our partnership with RDS formalises an already strong collaborative relationship which was established over two years ago when we hosted workshops with private sector and digital innovation organisations as part of an RDS review of access to data for digital health innovation. Our contribution extended RDS’s reach and brought crucial perspectives from the innovation community to give a comprehensive view of both the challenges and the opportunities faced in digital and data innovation.

 Many people expect their data to be used to improve services, but there is caution when there is talk of sharing data with the private sector. The expertise in engagement IHDP bring will help get the right balance between views of the public, NHS data owners and industry that should give the social licence to enable data-driven innovations that improve lives.

Roger Halliday Chief Executive Officer, Research Data Scotland

Our shared goal is to advance ethical, accessible, and innovative use of health data across Scotland, and our new partnership builds on the work already established to ‘unlock the value of our data’ and ensure that improved access enables responsible innovation and in a way that aligns with public values.

Key objectives

We aim to enhance communication and information sharing both internally and with external partners, supporting coordinated engagement across a broad stakeholder base. We will develop joint projects to improve data research in Scotland.

Planned activities

To deliver on these objectives, we will maintain ongoing intelligence sharing to identify collaboration opportunities. We will support RDS’s private sector engagement through workshops, communications, operational frameworks, and the Scottish Medical Imaging (SMI) showcase. Both organisations will jointly participate in research and innovation projects where relevant, share knowledge and best practices, and collaborate on events, stakeholder engagement, and other activities.

Formalising our partnership with RDS highlights the value of connecting partners across the digital health and data world and making best use of our combined resources to make a difference in how we use data to improve health and care outcomes in Scotland. It’s an important step for IHDP and recognises the strength of our collective impact approach to ensure that new approaches include a broad range of perspectives.

Fi Strachan Programme Lead, Innovative Healthcare Delivery Programme

Why this partnership matters for Scotland

This partnership is a vital step towards unlocking the full potential of Scotland’s health data to drive innovation that benefits everyone. By improving data access through ethical, transparent, and inclusive approaches, we will ensure research and commercial developments align with public values and deliver tangible health improvements.

We also see this partnership as key to supporting Scotland’s wider ambition to build a dynamic, data-driven economy. It fosters the kind of trusted environment where innovators, clinicians, patients, and policymakers can work together effectively - attracting responsible investment and ensuring the benefits of data use flow back into our communities and services.

Further information

Commercial access to public sector data needs to change | Research Data Scotland

Final Report of the Independent Expert Group to the Scottish Government on Unlocking the Value of Data | Scottish Government

Digital Unlocking the Value of Scotland’s Data - Response to report published | Scottish Government 

 

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