DigiFest Scotland - Leading with a Digital First Mindset
Thursday 11 December 2025
University of Strathclyde, Technology & Innovation Centre, Glasgow
#DigiFestScot
Speakers coming soon
Delegate Registration
Sponsorship Enquiries
We welcome expressions of interest from organisations looking to support DigiFest 2025 and showcase their work in digital health and care innovation.
HEADLINE SPONSOR
Join us at DigiFest Scotland 2025, the flagship conference celebrating the groundbreaking technologies, innovation, research and partnerships reshaping the future of health and social care.
As health and social care services across Scotland face mounting pressures, DigiFest offers a powerful platform to explore how pioneering digital innovation is improving patient outcomes, empowering professionals, and enabling truly co-designed care.
From hospital to home, and from prevention to precision, this immersive one-day conference will spotlight how digital is not just supporting—but transforming—every stage of the care journey and citizen experiences.
Discover how cutting-edge academic research is being translated into real-world impact, creating new models of care that are predictive, personalised, and proactive.
Be inspired by stories of innovation that are reducing demand on frontline services, enhancing clinical decision-making, and giving citizens greater control over their health and wellbeing.
Organised by Scotland’s Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre and its collaborative partners, DigiFest continues to be an anchor event for the Scottish digital health and care ecosystem.
DigiFest brings together policy leaders, clinicians, care professionals, academics, technologists, and innovators to shape a bold, data-driven vision for Scotland’s future. Whether you’re scaling up digital transformation or exploring the next frontier of health, care or med-tech devices, DigiFest 2025 is where ideas become action.
Confirmed Speakers:
Key Themes:
Whether you’re shaping national strategy, delivering frontline services, or pioneering breakthrough technologies, DigiFest is where Scotland’s health and social care innovation ecosystem comes together to inspire progress and scale impact.
agenda coming soon
Chief Executive Officer, Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI)

Professor George Crooks is currently the Chief Executive of the Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre, Scotland’s national innovation centre for digital health and care. He leads an organisation that is tasked with delivering innovation in digital health and care that will help Scotland’s people to live longer, healthier lives, deliver sustainable health and care services for the future and create economic benefits for Scotland. He was previously the Medical Director for NHS 24, the Scottish Ambulance Service and Director of the Scottish Centre for Telehealth & Telecare. George was a General Medical Practitioner for 23 years in Aberdeen latterly combining that role as Director of Primary Care for Grampian.
George is on the Board of the European Connected Health Alliance and is a past president of the European Health Telematics Association. He was an assessor for the European Commission on programmes involving digital health and care provision, led the Integrated Care Action Group in the European Innovation Partnership for Active and Healthy Ageing and is a member of the WHO roster of experts for digital health. He has been an advisor to several European governments and global organisations including the World Bank on digital health and care. He is an advisor to Innovate UK for its Industrial Grand Challenge programme for Health Ageing. He is also an adjunct Professor of Telehealth at the University of Southern Denmark.
He was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours List 2011 for services to healthcare.
Head of Digital Health and Care, Scottish Government

Jonathan is the Deputy Director for Digital Health and Care in Scottish Government, overseeing the Digital Health and Care Strategy for Scotland, and is currently leading the delivery of the Digital Front Door programme. During the Covid pandemic, Jonathan led the digital response including the delivery of the Covid Vaccination System and Protect Scotland app. Prior to his current role, Jonathan has held a number of data and IT programme posts in the public and private sector, and has a strong track record on complex IT and data system delivery. His career in eHealth and IT includes the delivery of the Emergency Care Summary and Key Information Summary systems which were major achievements in improving patient care across Scotland.
Partner, Public Digital

Lara is a digital transformation and product ways of working expert who specialises in advising and supporting large-scale, complex organisations that provide essential public products and services. She implements long-term cultural change and transformation programmes, including setting up structures and processes to support effective delivery, most notably in the implementation of Universal Credit. Lara upskills organisations across leadership, service ownership and change delivery to create the conditions for success. She drives user-centred, iterative change and scales multidisciplinary teams, providing strategic leadership support to embed new ways of working in critical public services.
Deputy Chief Executive, DHI

Moira is a key member of our executive team and she believes that the progress of any country can best be evidenced by the quality of care it provides to its most vulnerable citizens. She has over 30 years’ of experience in leading complex transformational change developments, enabled by digital within health, housing and care environments.
Moira led West Lothian Council’s ground-breaking Opening Doors for Older People Initiative, which inspired subsequent influential and high-profile roles including leadership of the Scottish Government’s National Telecare Development Programme and Head of Service for the high-achieving Scottish Centre for Telehealth & Telecare, which led the roll-out of Home & Mobile Health Monitoring, Telecare, computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and virtual consultations across Scotland.
Within DHI, Moira leads senior stakeholder engagement, design, finance, comms & marketing functions to identify collaborative health & care opportunities where DHI can add the most value from its expertise in digitally enabled research & innovation.
AI Policy Lead for Health and Social Care, Scottish Government

Issy works in Digital Health and Care (DHAC) which is part of the Directorate for the Chief Operating Officer in the Scottish Government as the lead for AI and Innovation Policy. Her team’s work involves developing a policy framework for the safe, efficient and ethical application of AI across health and social care which is part of health and social care reform plans. It also includes supporting Responsible AI adoption by Health Boards and Local Authorities through workstreams focused on strategy, governance, procurement and workforce. Previous to this Isobel worked on the National Mission to reduce drug deaths. Her work involved bringing together communities, health and social care staff and senior leaders to shape a human rights based framework for services.
Chief Operating Officer, Research Data Scotland

Layla Robinson is Chief Operating Officer at Research Data Scotland (RDS). RDS was established in late 2021 to make it simpler for researchers to access public sector data for the public good. Layla joined RDS in September 2022, initially as Partnerships and Strategy Director. She oversees strategy, partnerships, communications and engagement and operations. As part of this, she has worked closely with the Scottish Safe Haven Network, including overseeing the refresh of the Safe Haven Charter and how to ensure the network is more closely aligned, in the context of a UK-wide Health Data Research Service.
Layla has over 20 years of working in partnerships, strategy, communications and engagement and related fields, mainly around research. She has worked in the charity, private and research sectors in Edinburgh, London and Brussels. This includes seven years working in public affairs and related consultancy in London and Brussels, advising a range of healthcare and research companies and charities. She was Head of Public Affairs and Campaigns for six years at Cancer Research UK; and has also led a coalition of disability charities; worked inhouse for a multi-national healthcare company; and at a research centre at the University of Edinburgh.
Head of Innovation for Care & Wellbeing, DHI

Margaret is the Head of Innovation for Care and Wellbeing at the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI). With over 20 years’ experience working with the Scottish Government in both strategic and programme delivery roles, Margaret brings a strong background in leading major transformation programmes, complemented by her clinical and operational experience within NHS Fife.
Since taking up her current role in 2024, Margaret has led a national collaboration to drive digital innovation in social care and social work. A key focus of this work is the development of a Digital Care Innovation Hub in Scotland, aiming to transform care delivery through technology and partnership.
Margaret also leads Digital Lifelines Scotland—a Scottish Government-funded programme focused on reducing the risk of harm and death among people who use drugs. This is achieved through digital inclusion and tailored digital services, delivered in partnership with the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations and Simon Community Scotland.
Prior to this, until January 2024, Margaret headed the national Technology Enabled Care (TEC) Programme, a cross-sector initiative involving the NHS, local government, third sector, housing, and independent care providers. The programme centred on the citizen, aiming to enhance service access and outcomes through the use of digital technologies and person-centred approaches.
In her role at DHI, Margaret champions digital innovation to support integrated care and wellbeing, with a strong emphasis on social care and housing. Her leadership continues to highlight the potential of technology to improve lives and system efficiency across sectors.
Outside of her role at DHI, Margaret is a Trustee and Board Member of ENABLE Scotland, and chair designate of Hanover Housing Association.
Chief Clinical Digital Officer, NHS Grampian

Dr Steve Baguley is Chief Clinical Digital Officer and a consultant in Sexual Health & HIV at NHS Grampian.
He was lead author of NHS Grampian’s Strategy “Service Transformation through Digital” and of the North of Scotland’s AI Strategy “Spending Time Where it Counts”.
Steve has previously worked as a clinical advisor to the Digital Health & Care Division of the Scottish Government, was clinical chair of the Health Board Digital Leads group and clinical advisor to the NES Digital Service. He sits on the national Technical Design Authority and the M365 Programme Board.
Steve is dedicated to practical transformation across community and hospital healthcare and established the Scottish Digital Health & Care Network as a vehicle to support collaboration between organisations.
Dietetic Lead, Moray Health & Social Care Partnership

Jacqueline Walker MSc RD is a nationally recognised leader in nutrition and dietetic transformation, with over 30 years’ experience across NHS Scotland. She combines public health, service design, digital innovation, research and QI to improve outcomes, reduce inequalities and deliver value. Jacqueline is Lead Dietitian in Moray HSCP, Professional Adviser to the Scottish Government, Clinical Lead for Living Lab 1 (DHI/RCEM), and Trustee of NDR-UK. She holds an MSc from the University of Glasgow and delivered the BDA Elsie Widdowson Lecture in 2023. Her work has earned multiple awards and research/innovation grants.

Digital Health and Care & Director Health and Care Futures, University of Strathclyde

Roma Maguire is Deputy Associate Principal and Professor of Digital Health and Care at the University of Strathclyde, where she also directs the cross-University Health and Care Futures initiative. She holds an Honorary Professorial role at NHS Lanarkshire and was awarded an MBE in the 2024 New Year Honours for her contributions to healthcare research. Her work spans Digital Health, Remote Patient Monitoring, Human-Centric AI, and Supportive Care, with a strong focus on co-design, implementation science, and improving patient experience. Roma leads multi-site studies across clinical specialties, driving innovation in health and care across the UK and Europe.
Director of Planning & Performance, DHI

Janette has over 20 years of experience in Design, Innovation, Economic Development and Programme Management. She has focused the last ten years on Digital Health and Wellness leading various high-profile innovation projects in Scotland, including the Wellness and Health Innovation Project, and over the last 5 years, involvement with two major Innovate UK-backed programmes:
Janette has undertaken many international keynote presentations on this subject and has led numerous trade missions to Japan, the USA, India and throughout Europe. She has a thorough understanding of this sector and how service, technical and business innovation and readiness levels need to merge and connect to benefit stakeholders. In addition, Janette is:
Policy Team Leader, Digital Leadership & Capabilities, Scottish Government

Marion has worked within the Digital Health and Care Division of Scottish Government since 2022. She leads on Scotland’s organisational Digital Maturity programme that is open to all health and social care organisations. She also manages the Scottish Government commission of the Digitally Enabled Workforce Team at NHS NES. This is designed to improve the digital capability of the workforce and leadership across our health and care landscape.
Prior to joining Scottish Government, she worked in the Third Sector, NHS and academia in a range of senior management and operational roles. She has extensive experience and qualifications in organisational & workforce development and addiction & recovery service design and delivery.
Director NHS Scotland Academy, Learning & Innovation, NHS NES

Chief Executive, National Robotarium

Stewart Miller is an experienced business leader and a leading figurehead in the UK robotics sector. He took up the position of Chief Executive Officer at the National Robotarium in 2021 having previously been Chief Technology Officer of the UK Government’s innovation agency, Innovate UK, in addition to previously working as an experienced business leader for over 20 years in senior roles at major firms including Leonardo and BAESystems. During Stewart’s leadership of the National Robotarium, he has built its reputation as the UK’s centre for robotics and AI, creating inward investment, growing talent and skills, and fulfilling the UK’s potential to deliver a thriving robotics industry that stimulates economic growth. He is member of the Scottish Government Industry Leadership Group for Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing, an advisory board member of the Smart Manufacturing Data Hub, a non-executive director of the Satellite Application Catapult, a member of the Scottish Innovation Clusters Group and a member of the Liverpool and Manchester Railways Partnership Board.

Business Relationship Manager. Digital Telecare, Digital Office for Scottish Local Government

David works for the Digital Office for Scottish Local Government and leads the team responsible for delivering Scotland’s Digital Telecare, Shared Alarm Receiving Centre and Telecare Data programmes. Prior to moving into this role, he was a Senior Manager with the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership for more than 10 years, providing senior level leadership to a portfolio of services including Community Equipment, Telecare and Citywide Supported Housing. David was also the Partnerships Lead Officer for Digital Telecare during this time.
With a demonstrated history of working in the Technology Enabled Care, Housing and Third sector, David is skilled in Strategic Planning, Business Development, Organizational Development, Change Management and is a qualified Agile Practitioner. David also holds a Post Graduate Diploma (PGDip) focused in Public Sector Leadership.
CEO, Bield Housing

Debbie Collins joined Bield in 2023 as Chief Operating Office before moving into the CEO role. A CIMA-qualified accountant, she had established herself as a strong senior leader within the social housing sector. Since taking the reins at Bield she has successfully led the organisation through the launch of its ambitious growth strategy and overseen several significant milestones in the use of digital solutions and tenant led services that support older people to live their best lives independently within their own homes and communities. Passionate about high-quality housing that can adapt to the needs of its tenants and creating platforms that ensure the voices of older people in Scotland are heard. Debbie is driving forward innovation and placing Bield as a key leader in shaping the future of housing and care in Scotland.

Programme Lead for the Innovative Healthcare Delivery Programme, University of Edinburgh

Fi is Programme Lead for the Innovative Healthcare Delivery Programme (IHDP) within the Usher Institute’s Centre for Medical Informatics, University of Edinburgh. With a background in nursing, research and digital health, Fi has worked in academic, NHS and in commercial and third sector settings. More recently, Fi has focussed on the use of healthcare data for research and to inform healthcare policy and practice across Scotland. Fi has a keen interest in developing processes to support the implementation of digital solutions across the care service and in keeping patients and people at the heart of service development.
Chief Executive Officer, Simon Community Scotland

Lorraine began her career in mental health, moving into social care in 1990 and for the past 30 years she has held executive/senior management roles. She has been Chief Executive of Simon Community Scotland since 2012, an organisation that for 57 years has been wholly dedicated to combatting the causes and effects of homelessness in the West of Scotland, employing over 300 staff and reaching more than 10000 people each year, www.simonscotland.org. She has represented organisations internationally and nationally including contributing directly to the development of Scottish Government strategies on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping, National Drugs Mission, Self Directed Support, Suicide Prevention, veterans mental health and those that experience mental health issues in combination with other needs such as addiction.
Lorraine is passionate about delivering impact and empowering the people who receive support and the front-line staff supporting them to achieve the very best they can. She is constantly surprised and inspired by the resilience of people and their ability to overcome the greatest of harm and trauma and by the ability of staff to find solutions for the most intractable of issues.
Deputy Director of the Drugs Policy Division, Scottish Government

Head of Research and Skills, DHI

Dr Sanna Rimpiläinen, Head of Research and Skills at the Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre (DHI) in Glasgow, leads on one of DHI’s key strategic areas, the Skills and Future Workforce Development agenda.
This work stimulates a future pipeline of talent to support the digital transformation of health and care services in Scotland through collaboration with key stakeholders in academia, industry, and the civic sectors. With over 25 years of experience in research, she manages the DHI’s Research and Knowledge Management team, who provide an internal research service to inform DHI’s work and administer the Scottish digital health and care master’s funding. Sanna is a member of several national boards and advisory, steering and reference groups related to workforce development and skills.
Sanna has a PhD in Education. Her work focuses on the softer side of digital innovation.
Specialist Lead Digital Health and Social Care, NHS Education for Scotland (NES)

Pamela Dimberline is a national lead in digital workforce development, with over 35 years’ experience across health care and social care in Scotland and England. A founding member of the Digitally Enabled Workforce (DEW) team at NHS Education for Scotland (NES), she plays a key role in delivering the Digital, Data and Digital Leadership Capabilities Programme, commissioned by the Scottish Government and COSLA. With a career rooted in frontline social work and social care, Pamela’s interest in using digital to enhance services and build digital skills across the workforce has been a consistent thread, ensuring that staff at all levels have the digital capabilities and support they need to navigate the digital age. Today, she continues to champion these core values, focusing on how digital can be used not only to benefit the workforce but also to deliver improvements across the wider health and social care systems in Scotland.
Reader, Centre for Homelessness and Inclusion Health , The University of Edinburgh

Reader in the Centre for Homelessness and Inclusion Health, University of Edinburgh, for the past two years. Before that, for 25 years, led NHS Pharmacy clinical services and research while delivering care (as an independent prescriber) to people experiencing homelessness in Glasgow, on outreach, with Simon Community Scotland. I’ve setup and sustained a number of NHS clinical services after demonstrating benefits through pragmatic health services research. I have a particular interest in helping people experiencing homelessness with multimorbidity.
Published over 60 peer reviewed publications, secured over £10m in grants, editor for Pilot and Feasibility Trials, CSO Drug Death Innovation challenge National Clinical adviser, PhD supervisor, lead for research and development in Pharmacy (NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde), run a weekly clinic in The Access Place for people experiencing homelessness with substance dependency.
Health & Social Care Spokesperson, COSLA

Councillor Kelly graduated from Glasgow University with a MA Honours in History.
He has been an elected Councillor for North Lanarkshire since 2007 and the COSLA Health & Social Care Spokesperson since 2022.
He held the position of Depute Leader of the Council from 2016 to 2023. He was a non-executive board member of NHS Lanarkshire from 2016-2022. He was a member of North Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnership Joint Integration Board from 2016-2025 and was at various times Chair and Vice Chair.
As well as being a member of various Council Committees and Working Groups, Councillor Kelly has represented the Council on a number of outside bodies over the years, including: the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities; COSLA Health & Social Care Executive Group; Glasgow and Clyde Valley City Deal Cabinet.
Cabinet Secretary for Health & Social Care, Scottish Government

Neil Gray was born and brought up in Orkney and was educated at Kirkwall Grammar School. He graduated from the University of Stirling in 2008 with a first-class Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in politics and journalism.
He was elected to represent Airdrie and Shotts Constituency at the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.
He had previously won the Airdrie and Shotts Westminster seat in 2015 and held it on two subsequent occasions before resigning to stand for the same area in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election. Prior to becoming an MP, Mr Gray worked for former Scottish Government Health Secretary Alex Neil MSP as his Airdrie and Shotts constituency office manager.
Neil Gray was appointed Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development in January 2022. In March 2022 he additionally became Minister with special responsibility for Refugees from Ukraine. He was appointed Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy in March 2023, and Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care in February 2024.
CEO and Founder, Wilfor Institute

Prof. Dr. Dennis A. Ostwald is the CEO and Founder of WifOR Institute. His mission is to
instigate a paradigm shift towards recognizing health as an investment – into societal wellbeing, prosperity, and ultimately: better health for all.
Prof. Ostwald is a renowned speaker – delivering addresses at institutions including the UN
General Assembly, CEO Summit of the Americas, World Health Summit, and EU Parliament.
He teaches economic research and international management at the Steinbeis School of
International Business and Entrepreneurship (SIBE)
Health Robotics Lead , National Robotarium

Lisa Farrell leads healthcare partnerships at the National Health Robotarium, working with NHS Scotland Innovation Hubs to integrate robotics into health and care delivery. With expertise in digital transformation and public sector innovation, Lisa focuses on turning emerging technology into practical, scalable solutions. At DigiFest 2025, she will discuss how robotics can strengthen workforce capacity, improve patient outcomes, and ensure public spending drives sustainable value. Her work bridges academia, industry, and the NHS to build an evidence-based pathway for national adoption of robotics in healthcare.
Chief Digital Officer, Digital Office for Scottish Local Government

Martyn founded the Digital Office back in 2016 to create and support accelerated digital change in partnership with Scottish councils in delivering critical front-line services whilst also balancing budgets. Martyn is the Senior Responsible Officer for Digital Telecare, working in close partnership with Technology Enabled Care, Scottish Government and Health & Care colleagues. Alongside his Digital Office duties, Martyn is chair of the Scottish Government’s Digital Identity Programme. Before founding the Digital Office, Martyn enjoyed a rich and varied career, consulting with Private and Public Sector clients, whilst working for tech companies including Capita Secure Digital Solutions, Telefonica O2UK, BlackBerry, Computacenter, and Compaq – leading on digital innovation projects that drive real change.
Vice President, Programme Director, CGI

Alison is a Digital Programme and Delivery Director with 25 years of experience leading complex, high-risk transformations. She has dedicated her career to building national-scale digital and data services that address the health system’s most pressing challenges. During the pandemic, she led urgent programs like the Shielding Patients List and COVID Therapeutics, initiatives that directly impacted patient care. Her work included delivering Wayfinder, a national service for managing hospital appointments in the NHS App, and the digital solution for the bowel cancer screening test. Alison is a leader committed to user-centered design, innovation, and mentoring the next generation of digital leaders.

Director NHS Scotland Academy, Learning & Innovation, NHS Education for Scotland (NES)

Professor Kevin Kelman was appointed as the first Director of NHS Scotland Academy, Learning and Innovation in NHS Education for Scotland (NES) in 2023.
The NHS Scotland Academy, Learning and Innovation Directorate supports the strategic delivery of innovation which can support innovative practice through workforce education, training, research and workforce redesign.
In 2023, Kevin was appointed as a visiting professor within Strathclyde Business School at the University of Strathclyde in recognition of his experience in leadership and management in public services.
Kevin has been a member of the Scottish Funding Council’s Skills, Enhancement, Access and Learning (SEAL) Committee since 2023.
Delivery Manager, Magic Notes Powered By Beam

Theo is a Delivery Manager at Beam, partnering with local authorities to drive adoption and impact with AI-powered solutions. His primary focus is ensuring frontline workers receive the maximum value from Beam’s suite of tools, allowing them to reclaim their time, and focus more on delivering human-centered care.
Director of Clinical and Business Improvements , InterSystems

Rami Riman leverages clinical best practices across multiple healthcare disciplines through engagement with InterSystems solutions. In his role, Rami works to improve hospital workflows to ensure patient safety, improve efficiencies and increase system adoption. Rami has extensive consultancy experience in healthcare IT, including change management consultancy, professional accreditation, hospital workflow management, and realizing a return on investments. Prior to InterSystems, Rami had 10 years of clinical experience across multiple hospitals in the US, UK, Lebanon and UAE. Rami’s passion remains in increasing patient engagement to improve community’s health and awareness.
Rami holds a B.A. from the American University of Beirut in Biology, a Doctorate in Medicine from St. George’s University School of Medicine. Rami is board certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology.
Clinical Director of Innovation, University of Glasgow

David J. Lowe is Clinical Director of Innovation at the University of Glasgow, Emergency Consultant at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, and Clinical Lead for Innovation for the Scottish Government. With extensive experience fostering innovation in healthcare, he collaborates with academic and industry partners globally to develop cutting-edge devices, services, and solutions. He has led AI-focused initiatives as lead for the Digital Health Validation Lab, including applications in COVID-19, osteoporosis, and the development of AI solutions across a range of imaging modalities including echo, CT and X-Ray. David directs programmes implementing and evaluation technologies within clinical pathways focused on system redesign focusing on diagnostics and long term condition management. He is a founding member of the Centre of Excellence for Regulatory Science- AI, part of UK Commission for AI Regulation in Heath and on the board for MHRA Airlock. Areas of focus are COPD, HF and lung cancer embedding new medtech and specifically AI solutions to support case-finding, diagnosis and prioritisation.
Innovation Manager , NHS Fife, Health Innovation South East Scotland

Neil is the Innovation Manager in NHS Fife, member Board of the Southeast Innovation Hub (HISES).
Beginning his career in early phase, first in human, clinical trials working in Regulatory Affairs before moving to NHS Lothian Research and Development Department (ACCORD) as a Research Governance Officer, focusing on commercial research within the NHS. After gaining experience in NHS research governance, Neil moved to a Sponsorship role in the University of Edinburgh, initially working on a European wide Alzheimer’s platform trial. Neil has experience in regulatory affairs, academic clinical trials and trial sponsorship.
Neil joined NHS Fife as Innovation Manager in 2022 working on building the portfolio of Innovation within NHS Fife and the Southeast Innovation Hub (HISES) and brings extensive knowledge in research governance and health and medical research. Neil has been pivotal in the delivery of the Reducing Drug Deaths Innovation Challenge across the UK and has worked on innovation projects in women and children’s services, mental health , neonatology and cancer services.
Policy Advisor, World Health Organisation

Crispin Scotter is a Policy Advisor at WHO in Copenhagen, focusing on digital capability and the future health and care workforce. His background includes senior roles in the UK’s Legal Services Commission and the Department of Health, following earlier private-sector experience in retail, sales, and supply-chain management. He has supported workforce transformation in more than twenty countries and established the Northern and Western European HRH hubs. Crispin’s work includes workforce digital enablement, lifelong learning, and modern workforce models, including leadership of the 2025 HRH modelling symposium and contributions to EU initiatives such as the HEROS Joint Action.
Deputy Director, NES Technology Service, NHS Education for Scotland

Senior Business Development Manager, Legrand Care

Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive, NHS Scotland

Christine McLaughlin CBE was appointed as Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive, NHS Scotland in June 2025.
Prior to this she was Co-Director of Population Health for the Scottish Government where she had responsibility for oversight of Health and Care Reform and for Digital Health and Care.
Christine has held a number of roles in Scottish Government Health & Care Directorates, including Director of Covid-19 Test & Protect, and Director of Health Finance.
Christine began her career working in the NHS, where she held a number of senior finance roles. She then spent 6 years in management consulting roles with PwC, KPMG and Capgemini, working with public sector clients on financial transformation. Christine is a Chartered Public Finance Accountant and a Charity Trustee with Carnegie UK.
Project Manager - SWIFT Replacement Programme, Perth and Kinross Council

Whole Systems Unit Head, Drug Policy Division, Scottish Government

Senior Consultant, Architect , CGI

Stephen Marshall is a digital transformation and service-design leader with more than 30 years of experience delivering complex, technology-driven change across major UK public and private sector programmes. His career spans architecture, service design, analysis, and digital strategy, with senior roles including Head of Service Design, Head of Digital Service Development, Business Architect and Principal Analyst.
At BJSS, now part of CGI, Stephen played a central role on the NHS Mobile First Programme, with the aim of moving communication from paper to digital means. He also worked alongside the team creating NHS Notify, NHS England’s unified national patient-messaging platform that has delivered more than 257 million communications and transformed how millions of patients engage with healthcare services.
Director of Clinical and Business Improvements , InterSystems

Rami Riman leverages clinical best practices across multiple healthcare disciplines through engagement with InterSystems solutions. In his role, Rami works to improve hospital workflows to ensure patient safety, improve efficiencies and increase system adoption. Rami has extensive consultancy experience in healthcare IT, including change management consultancy, professional accreditation, hospital workflow management, and realizing a return on investments. Prior to InterSystems, Rami had 10 years of clinical experience across multiple hospitals in the US, UK, Lebanon and UAE. Rami’s passion remains in increasing patient engagement to improve community’s health and awareness.
Rami holds a B.A. from the American University of Beirut in Biology, a Doctorate in Medicine from St. George’s University School of Medicine. Rami is board certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology.
Senior Business Development Manager, Legrand Care

Maureen Holmes has over 15 years’ experience in Technology Enabled Care (TEC), supporting the transition from analogue to digital and promoting hybrid solutions for services not yet ready for full adoption. She contributes to test-of-change initiatives that improve outcomes and efficiency, aligning with Legrand’s vision for integrated digital ecosystems that empower providers and enhance care delivery.
CEO, Bield Housing

Debbie Collins joined Bield in 2023 as Chief Operating Office before moving into the CEO role. A CIMA-qualified accountant, she had established herself as a strong senior leader within the social housing sector. Since taking the reins at Bield she has successfully led the organisation through the launch of its ambitious growth strategy and overseen several significant milestones in the use of digital solutions and tenant led services that support older people to live their best lives independently within their own homes and communities. Passionate about high-quality housing that can adapt to the needs of its tenants and creating platforms that ensure the voices of older people in Scotland are heard. Debbie is driving forward innovation and placing Bield as a key leader in shaping the future of housing and care in Scotland.
Lecturer, Dental Health & Social Care, New College Lanarkshire

Tony Brady is a lecturer in Dental, Health and Social Care at New College Lanarkshire, where he serves as a lead for the HNC Healthcare Practice programme. His academic and professional interests centre on the advancement of digital health education, with a particular emphasis on the integration of virtual reality and immersive technologies into clinical teaching. He is engaged in the development of digital clinical scenarios designed to enhance experiential learning, support skills acquisition, and strengthen the delivery of high-quality, person-centred healthcare training.
DFD Programme Director, NHS Education for Scotland (NES)

Greg is the Programme Director for the Digital Front Door Programme. Greg has delivered many national digital and transformation programmes across various sectors in Health and Care over the last 20+ years. Greg is passionate about transformation and data to maximise benefits for the people of Scotland underpinned by the use of digital services.
Senior Business Development Manager - Health, Enovation

Rob has been involved in Health and Care technology for the past 15 years, from core IT infrastructure and integration, to clinical systems, apps, and ‘care in the hand of the patient’. He is particularly interested in rethinking the divisions between Health and Social Care provision, to enable more holistic treatments across boundaries, with better outcomes and improved wellbeing.
Fully accredited by The CPD Group, attending earns you 8 CPD credits. For more details click here.
You should attend if you are:
Whether you’re shaping national strategy, delivering frontline services, or pioneering breakthrough technologies, DigiFest is where Scotland’s health and social care innovation ecosystem comes together to inspire progress and scale impact.

Insights you can act on. Founded in 1976, CGI is among the largest IT and business consulting services firms in the world. We are insights-driven and outcomes-focused to help accelerate returns on your investments. Across 21 industry sectors in 400 locations worldwide, our 93,000 professionals provide comprehensive, scalable and sustainable IT and business consulting services that are informed globally and delivered locally.

The Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) is Scotland’s national innovation centre for digital health and care. Funded by the Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council, DHI works in partnership with academia, industry, and the public sector to co-design and deliver digital solutions that improve health and wellbeing outcomes. By combining user-led design with cutting-edge research and technology, DHI enables new models of care that are scalable, sustainable, and citizen-centred.

InterSystems builds high-performance, cloud-first data management solutions to empower organisations in diverse industries to achieve data that is cleaned, integrated, and ready for action, regardless of its source. We power the mission-critical NHS Scotland EHR system and connect care solutions across the healthcare estate. Our native-AI solution brings data to the processing, creating a faster, more connected experience for the user. Trusted worldwide, InterSystems supports over 80 countries and manages more than one billion health records globally — making it a backbone of modern healthcare data infrastructure.

ASSA ABLOY provides a connected care ecosystem built on modular, trusted solutions – QiAccess™ for digital access control, Kadex for digital nursing-home alarms and real-time positioning platforms, TeleAlarm for telecare alarm units, and 9Solutions for telecare and nursing-home solutions. Each component can be purchased on its own or combined to fit local needs, working through our network of solution-providing partners. Our solutions are interoperable with third-party platforms, such as the Scottish Digital ARC solution, helping care providers build secure, scalable environments that improve operations and shape the future of connected care.

Legrand Care is a global brand specialising in the innovative development of connected technology for the health, housing, and social care sectors. Designed with one primary objective: to improve people's lives. With over 40 years of knowledge and experience, we are strong leaders in the international market of connected care, offering comprehensive and fully managed digital solutions that allow customers to efficiently deploy improved care services. To support people to live their healthiest and most fulfilling lives.

Beam | AI-Powered Tools for Social Care Beam is a social enterprise using AI to free up frontline time in care and social work. Our suite of tools (including Magic Notes & Magic Reports) helps social workers and care professionals instantly generate high-quality notes and reports, saving thousands of hours every week. Trusted by hundreds of local authorities and care providers, Beam’s solutions are designed with and for care teams. With a focus on data protection, ease of use, and real-world impact, our technology gives staff more time for people, not paperwork.

Abilia is a leading provider of technology-enabled care with over 50 years of international experience in Sweden, Norway, Germany, and the UK. Our solutions support independence for older adults and people with cognitive challenges through evidence-based, person-centred technology.

Evondos is the leading provider of automated medicine dispensing services in Europe. Evondos’ service enables people in need of medical treatment to get the prescribed medicine at the right time automatically, which improves patient safety, medical adherence and supports independent life at home. The service is based on advanced technology and consists of an automatic medicine dispensing robot installed in private homes, with a cloud-based control system and service elements.

Tactuum is a digital healthcare innovator developing decision support and patient engagement solutions across a number of areas including triage, remote patient monitoring, medicines, patient flow and clinical decision support. Our clients include NHS Scotland, NHS England, Ministry of Defence and a number of healthcare providers the USA. We have experience across a range of clinical domains, including: mental health, asthma, diabetes, palliative and end-of-life care, cancer and medicines. Tactuum work closely with healthcare providers and academia to conceptualise, design, build and support large-scale/national and digital solutions. Our approach is to develop long-term strategic partners that make use of data and technology delivering practical, secure, scalable and meaningful impact to clinicians and patients.

Aptvision is a healthcare technology company transforming how radiology and diagnostic services are delivered. Founded in Dublin, Aptvision’s flagship solution VisionRIS, unifies patient, referrer, and imaging workflows into one intelligent, cloud-based system. Trusted by healthcare providers across the UK, Europe, and beyond, Aptvision empowers hospitals, imaging networks, and private clinics to achieve operational excellence, enhance patient experience, and enable data-driven decisions. Through innovation, co-creation with users, and seamless interoperability, Aptvision is redefining what’s possible in digital radiology, connecting people, systems, and insights to deliver smarter, more sustainable healthcare.

Inhealthcare is a trusted provider of remote patient monitoring, virtual wards and hospital @ home technology. We help people to live healthier lives — all from the comfort of home. Our digital health services empower patients to recover in familiar surroundings, with easy-to-use technology at their fingertips. Our services aim to drive efficiencies for clinical teams, free up hospital beds and reduce costs. Our services are loved by patients. In a recent survey, 99% of patients rated our virtual ward as either good or very good. We integrate seamlessly with SCI Store, Docman, EMIS Web, SystmOne, and NHS Spine for unmatched interoperability. Inhealthcare is part of the Resmed family, a global leader in sleep and respiratory health.

Buddy Healthcare’s Care Coordination Platform helps NHS Health Boards and Trusts streamline perioperative and speciality care pathways. It automates patient communication, supports the collection of patient-reported data, and provides real-time visibility across the entire care journey. Developed in collaboration with leading European healthcare providers, the platform supports data-driven, standardised workflows that enable clinical teams to categorise and prioritise patients based on submitted information, reducing administrative workload and freeing up time for direct patient care. Health Boards and hospitals using the Buddy Healthcare Platform are achieving fewer last-minute cancellations, smoother pre-assessment processes, and improved theatre efficiency. Many have also reported up to 98% fewer phone calls, a 30% reduction in surgical cancellations, and significant time and cost savings through more efficient care coordination.

VitalHub UK (VHUK), a subsidiary of VitalHub Corp, is a leading provider of integrated digital solutions that help health systems manage complexity, improve flow, and enhance care delivery at scale. With a strong foundation in clinical insight and operational expertise, VHUK’s diverse portfolio of innovative technologies span patient engagement, hospital and community flow, care coordination, command centre infrastructure, workforce planning, and mental health services. Designed to integrate across care settings in both planned and unplanned care, its platforms enable faster decision-making, greater coordination, and measurable performance improvement. Trusted by healthcare providers worldwide, VHUK supports the delivery of high-performing, patient-centred care where staff are empowered, resources are optimised, and patients receive the right care, at the right time.

CLEO Systems: Simplifying connected care Refreshingly intuitive systems, empowering clinicians and enhancing patient experience CLEO Systems is redefining digital healthcare with intuitive, connected solutions that empower clinicians and elevate patient care. Our innovative technology supports a wide range of frontline services—including urgent care, emergency departments, secondary care outpatient settings and community pharmacy, enabling healthcare professionals to work smarter and deliver better outcomes. Designed with clinicians, for clinicians, our platforms are practical, effective, and user-friendly - ensuring seamless integration and real-world impact Our mission is clear: to drive digital transformation across the healthcare economy, delivering measurable value and efficiency, and helping providers deliver the right care, in the right place, at the right time.

Alcidion's Miya Precision platform transforms patient flow across the entire care continuum - from emergency departments through inpatient care to virtual care in the community. Our FHIR-enabled technology integrates data from multiple systems, providing real-time visibility of capacity and demand, identifying bottlenecks and enabling proactive management. Miya Precision supports clinical decision-making at every point of care, from ED triage and specialty workflows to remote patient monitoring. By automating routine tasks and reducing cognitive burden, we help healthcare organisations optimise patient flow, improve outcomes, and unlock value from existing technology to deliver measurable impact at patient, organisational and system levels.

Chiptech is dedicated to enhancing people's lives through innovative digital telecare and personal safety solutions. At the heart of everything they do is a commitment to empowering individuals to maintain their health and independence. As a trusted expert in digital telecare, Chiptech led the analogue-to-digital transition across Australasia. They have proudly brought this same leadership and expertise to the UK, where over 250,000 digital connections speak to the trust and confidence placed in Chiptech’s telecare solutions.

Launching nationally in April 2026, MyCare.scot is Scotland’s most ambitious digital health and social care innovation. The app provides citizens with a secure digital identity, access to personal health information, and NHS service tools. Following its initial rollout in Lanarkshire, MyCare will expand across hospital, GP, pharmacy, and social care services, transforming how people manage and access care.

Scottish Care is a membership organisation representing the independent social care sector in Scotland. We work with members and stakeholders in social care to create conditions for sustainable human-rights-based care and support. As a charity, we need you to help us drive change by donating. When you support Scottish Care, you are helping to shape the environment in which care services can deliver and develop the high-quality care that people and communities deserve.

Microtech Health, part of the award-winning Microtech Group, delivers cutting-edge healthcare technology and services that empower both patients and care professionals. With over 35 years’ IT expertise we help health providers improve outcomes, efficiency, and patient experience. Our HealthPods, MiHealth portal and digital patient-flow tools connect patients, clinicians and communities through intuitive virtual clinics, telehealth and self-service check-in. By combining trusted IT expertise with user-friendly devices, apps and managed services, we reduce admin burden, streamline workflows, and support proactive, data-driven care. Working in partnership with NHS and social care teams, we put patients at the heart of innovation, delivering scalable, future-ready solutions across primary, community and residential care settings.

REHABILITY is an evidence-based digital rehabilitation system that turns therapy into engaging semi-virtual reality games for motor, cognitive, and functional recovery. Co-designed with clinicians and patients aged 60 to 95, it delivers personalised exercises that can be completed across various care settings, including private homes. It offers a scalable, connected care solution for hospitals and rehabilitation centres, that raises therapy intensity and mitigates the shortage of staff. Backed by 13 years of scientific research and proven as effective as traditional therapy, REHABILITY boosts adherence, enhances motivation, and significantly increases specialist productivity.

CARE-PAC, a co-designed digital remote-monitoring and support system, enables patients and informal carers to report symptoms and wellbeing at home through structured check-ins. These data feeds combine with dyadic patient–carer algorithms to deliver early, proactive and actionable insight to care teams ensuring continuity of care, reduction in preventable crises, and supporting care closer to home. CARE-PAC is a collaborative spin-out from the University of Strathclyde and Tactuum Digital Health led by Prof Roma McGuire MBE.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is the UK government’s department for driving economic growth. We help businesses invest, expand, and export—creating jobs and opportunities across the UK. DBT leads the government’s engagement with businesses and attracts high-value international investment. Our expertise spans trade, foreign direct investment, export control, and business support. As your trusted partner for investing in the UK, we connect global investors with opportunities across sectors. We provide free, confidential advice and tailored support to help you establish and grow, giving you the confidence to use the UK as your gateway to global success.

Scottish Enterprise is Scotland’s national economic development agency and a non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government. We work to transform the Scottish economy by helping businesses innovate and scale and support projects that will result in more high value jobs, enable innovation, boost productivity levels, attract investment and support a just transition to net zero by 2045.

The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) is the national voice and membership body for housing associations and co-operatives across Scotland. Representing over 130 not-for-profit social landlords, SFHA champions the right to safe, warm, and affordable homes for all. It supports members through advocacy, policy development, innovation, and collaboration, helping them build and maintain thriving communities. SFHA’s strategic vision focuses on transforming public understanding of social housing, influencing policy, and fostering inclusive, future-ready housing solutions.

The Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE) is the national third sector membership organisation for the health and social care sector. We bring together over 3,500 people and organisations dedicated to achieving our vision of a Scotland where everyone has a strong voice and enjoys the right to live well, with dignity and respect. The Digital Hub at the ALLIANCE consists of: The Digital Health and Social Care Team– supporting transformational change in health and social care by exploring digital and innovative technologies and ways of working. ALISS- A Local Information System for Scotland– a co-produced, web-based system for finding and sharing information about community assets across Scotland.

The Scottish Government’s Digital Health and Care Division works with COSLA and others to implement the priorities of the shared Digital Health and Care Strategy and Data Strategy for Health and Social Care. In addition, we ensure that those priorities support the overall ambitions of the recently publishedService Renewal Framework, Population Health Framework, and Operational Improvement Plan. We work collaboratively with a range of public, private, third and independent sector partners to deliver digital solutions supporting the health and care needs of people in Scotland, and that they benefit fully from our innovation and digital and data developments. Our current commitments for delivery are set out in Care in the Digital Age: delivery plan 2024 to 2025 and Health and social care – data strategy: 2024 update – progress and priorities.

The £12M-funded Medical Device Manufacturing Centre (MDMC) aim to help Scottish Companies crossing the chasm between medical proof-of-concepts from laboratory workbenches to mass-manufacturable products. A Consortium of 5 Universities headquartered at Heriot-Watt University, the MDMC provides access to knowledge, manufacturing facilities based on over £5M of commercial equipment, engineering and regulatory expertise, and latest research in sustainability. Since April 2020, the MDMC has helped 177 companies (63% of the total industrial sector) through 200 activities in creating 46 new products. The MDMC also facilitated over £15M of investment to companies since July 2023 and delivered free customised regulatory expertise to 59 companies.
DigiFest Scotland 2025 is co-delivered by Futurescot Media Limited and the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre