Digital identity is becoming an essential tool for service delivery across various sectors, and healthcare is no exception. In Northern Ireland, the integration of the Northern Ireland Digital Identity Service (NIDIS) into the healthcare system has streamlined patient management and improved access to medical services. Meanwhile, Scotland’s digital identity service, ScotAccount, has gained recognition for its role in enhancing service accessibility, earning a nomination in the Digital Health and Care Award category at the Digital Service Transformation awards.
In Northern Ireland, managing patient data across multiple platforms has been a longstanding challenge. Different diagnostic systems, public health records, labs, pharmacies, and hospitals often operated in silos, making it difficult to consolidate patient information. With NIDIS, these fragmented records are now unified, allowing healthcare providers to access a complete view of each patient’s medical history. The system utilizes a combination of an existing health and care number along with a unique identifier from NIDIS to ensure that patient care is both safer and more efficient.
NIDIS operates on an Oracle-based technology stack and processes an impressive volume of transactions daily. Each day, it handles around 13,000 demographic updates, 14,500 API calls, and 9,000 patient record views while generating 140 new records for newborns and new residents. Over the past five years, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, NIDIS has significantly improved health data management, reducing administrative workload and enhancing the overall patient experience. Future plans include expanding datasets to incorporate telecommunications and positioning NIDIS as a cornerstone for national health research and planning.
The primary goal of integrating NIDIS into the healthcare system is to replace outdated legacy systems, enabling better record matching and reducing inefficiencies. Authorities highlight that the new software has not only improved patient management but also reduced reliance on costly, time-consuming paper-based processes. The first phase of the project launched in 2023 and is set to evolve further.
Scotland has also made strides in digital identity, with ScotAccount earning recognition for its contributions to public services. This month, the team behind ScotAccount was shortlisted for the Digital Service Transformation award, celebrating its work in improving access to healthcare, social care, and housing services. Since partnering with Disclosure Scotland in 2023, ScotAccount has played a key role in streamlining hiring processes by helping organizations make more informed decisions about potential employees.
The success of both NIDIS and ScotAccount highlights the growing importance of digital identity in modern healthcare. With biometrics-based digital ID emerging as a reliable tool for preventing fraud and fostering patient trust, its continued development will shape the future of accessible, efficient, and secure healthcare systems.