NHS NATIONAL SERVICES SCOTLAND
Steven Flockhart tells us how collaboration enabled his team at NHS National Services Scotland to build a highly efficient staff-enabling , COVID-19 response .
Steven Flockhart Director of Cloud Engineering & Operations
When Steven Flockhart joined NHS National Services Scotland ’ s Digital and Security business unit , it was two weeks before the lockdown began . As the Director of Cloud Engineering & Digital Operations , he has a remit to oversee digital engineering and operations , and continue to build and drive excellence in supporting the delivery of NHS Scotland ’ s digital infrastructure . However , this suddenly shifted to helping NHS Scotland respond to a highly infectious virus that quickly turned into a global pandemic .
Flockhart ' s team is responsible for a number of digital infrastructure operations that underpin NHS Scotland . His particular NHS Scotland board – National Services Scotland – is a non-departmental public body that provides advice and services to the rest of Scotland ' s publically funded health system . It is accountable to the Scottish Government and in total supports 14 regional health boards that vary greatly in terms of size and need . " Things smaller boards may want to do for themselves but may not have capability or capacity , we provide for them ," he says . This ranges from IT equipment to the provision of things like the Scottish Wide Area Network , a public sector ICT initiative in Scotland that aims to establish high-quality IT networking and communications services across the country . " It ' s the backbone of the Scottish infrastructure that connects all of us together . The education , healthcare , police and fire services all get these services from us ," Flockhart says . healthcareglobal . com 29