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Our approach

NDP offers reusable technical services as a part of any end-to-end solution

The NDP (National Digital Platform) develops technology to improve how Scotland delivers health and care services. Health boards in Scotland and other health and care providers can use our flexible tools to improve the health and care services for their population.

By building and supporting reusable technical components, health and care organisations will reduce duplication and deliver faster services.

Our mission

NDP is a strategic partner for teams building digital solutions across health and care in Scotland. As the backbone of an integrated ecosystem, we will:

  • deliver reusable technical and data services
  • ensure NHS Scotland owns and can access its data
  • enable secure interoperability across systems
  • provide value for money

What we do

Our teams work closely with prospective and existing users of our services to understand what they’re looking to achieve.

We work with:

  • Health Boards
  • public sector organisations
  • partners in the private and third sectors

When an organisation’s needs combine a few NDP services, our teams are well-placed to advise on the best way to approach this. Our Service Catalogue offers more information.

Work with us

As you develop your service or application, we’ll work with you closely to understand your needs.

Our Service Desk regularly reviews service levels to ensure we’re meeting the required standards and will support you with potential issues.

Some APIs or data require approval before obtaining access to them. This protects personal data and keeps systems secure. In these circumstances, NDP teams will advise on steps and timescales.

How we decide what to build

Our digital services follow four main purposes:

1. Reusable components for major programmes
We provide digital support for major programmes commissioned by Scottish Government's Digital Health and Care directorate. We work across these programmes to identify common needs.

This way of working helps us:

  • expand our service catalogue
  • improve our offering
  • deliver tangible benefits and value for money

2. External organisation focus
We build services that provide easy access to common components, including hosting, data storage, identity and access management and audit. By using our tools, health and care services can allocate their technology budget to specific features that meet their users’ needs.

3. A user-focused platform for developers
Developers working in health and care products can tailor our services to their needs. This approach allows them to focus on the specific features of their product and adapt them to their users' needs.

4. Data-centred
In Scotland, GP practices and health boards are responsible for storing patients' data using different systems. The result is that there is no unified system for storing medical records.

Our services can bring data together through a patient-centred clinical data repository, supporting the development of innovative solutions for health and care in Scotland.

Benefits

Improved access
People can more easily access their own health and care data.
Better decisions
With better access to data, those involved in health and care will make better decisions.
Flexible services
Reusable technical services provide the flexibility to serve a variety of needs across health and care.

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