“We must lead with a digital first mindset,” says DHI CEO ahead of DigiFest 2025

DigiFest, Scotland’s flagship digital health and social care innovation conference, returns as an in person event in December 2025 with a call to action of: “lead with a digital first mindset.”

Hosted by the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) and supported by the Scottish Government’s Digital Health and Care Division, DigiFest 2025 will spotlight national programmes ‘reshaping’ Scotland’s health and social care landscape and showcase a pipeline of exciting innovations.

At the heart of digitally enabled transformation are initiatives like Digital Lifelines Scotland (DLS). Delivered in partnership with DHI, SCVO, and the Simon Community Scotland. This programme supports people affected by drug use with digital access and skills, virtual support, and therapeutic services. Since its creation, DLS has reached a significant number of participants, with 5,502 individuals supported, 3,044 digital devices distributed, and 518 staff and volunteers trained in digital inclusion across Scotland. This was delivered through partnerships with 35 organisations across six separate funding rounds.

Other significant programmes include the Digital Front Door, a 27 million GBP programme creating Scotland’s national digital access point for health and social care services. Critical milestones in the project will be unveiled at DigiFest ahead of a phased national rollout beginning in late 2025.

DigiFest, which will take place on Thursday, 11 December at the University of Strathclyde’s Technology and Innovation Centre (TIC) in Glasgow, will bring together leaders, practitioners, innovators, businesses, researchers and policymakers from across the health and care ecosystem.

Delegates will discuss Scotland’s recently published Health and Social Care Service Renewal Framework, co-developed by national and local government, which is built on five core principles: prevention, people, community, population, and digital. DigiFest will explore how leadership, delivery, and innovation must be rooted in digital transformation to meet the challenges of the decade ahead.

Professor George Crooks OBE, CEO of DHI said: “This is a pivotal time for Scotland’s health and care services. To ensure sustainability and improve outcomes, we must lead with a digital first mindset – embracing innovation, not fearing it – and harnessing digital tools to move towards a more proactive, preventative model of care.”

Delivered in partnership with Futurescot, Scotland’s public sector digital media and events platform, the 2025 event will feature a programme of thought leadership, real-world case studies, and ‘ground-breaking’ innovations, shaped by a cross-sector advisory panel comprising the Digital Office for Scottish Local Government, Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland, Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, Scottish Development International, the Scottish Government, Scottish Care, Scottish Enterprise, the NHS, Scotland’s Universities and the Medical Device Manufacturing Centre. 

Kevin O’Sullivan, Editor of Futurescot said: “DigiFest is Scotland’s flagship event for digital health and social care in Scotland, and we are delighted to be supporting DHI in hosting this in-person event in Glasgow this December. Bringing the right people together at the right time is the most powerful tool for change, and events like DigiFest are so important in that context.

“We’re looking forward to co-creating an exciting agenda which involves key national and regional stakeholders to showcase the vital work they are doing to transform health and social services in Scotland.”

Professor Crooks added: “We are excited to work with Futurescot and our advisory partners to deliver a powerful, inclusive and forward-thinking event that reflects the diversity of Scotland’s digital health and social care community. From health-tech to med-tech to care-tech, DigiFest 2025 will connect innovators with frontline practitioners and decision-makers who are shaping the future of care in Scotland.”

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