Scottish Government to Launch ‘Digital Front Door’ for health & social care

Scotland’s First Minister, John Swinney, has announced plans for a new digital health and social care app, which aims to improve access to services across the country. The ‘Digital Front Door’ platform will begin rolling out at the end of 2025, starting in Lanarkshire, before expanding nationwide.

Swinney made the announcement during a speech on NHS renewal and public service improvement at the National Robotarium in Edinburgh, where he outlined the Scottish Government’s threefold strategy for strengthening health and social care.

Swinney described the app as a “much-needed addition” to improve how patients interact with the NHS.

“This ‘Digital Front Door’ will begin rollout from the end of this year, starting in Lanarkshire, and over time it will become an ever more central, ever more important access and management point for care in Scotland,” he said.

The app will provide a single access point for patients to engage with NHS and social care services, offering features such as access to personal health records, digital notifications and appointment reminders, and options for patients to interact with health and care services online.

The Scottish Government has been developing the platform since 2022 as part of a broader strategy to harness digital innovation in healthcare delivery.

The First Minister highlighted that the ‘Digital Front Door’ is part of a larger initiative to use technology to enhance healthcare access. This builds on Scotland’s existing digital mental health support services, which saw 74,000 referrals in 2023-24.

Moving forward, digital support will be expanded to include dermatology services, long-term condition management, and additional NHS appointment booking capabilities.