Young Scot is calling on young people from across Scotland to join a Panel which will work to influence changes to how Scottish healthcare is delivered for young people.

The Scottish Government’s Technology Enabled Care (TEC) programme, working in partnership with Local Government Digital Office, Digital Health and Care Institute and other stakeholders, are teaming up with Young Scot to create a new Panel of young people looking at the strategic development of digital technology in health and care.

This panel will work with TEC to begin to shape ideas, solutions, and recommendations for improving digital health and care in Scotland, building upon the work of Young Scot’s Technology Enabled Care report, launched in 2018.

Young Scot are now recruiting 20 young people aged 11–25 to form the Panel. Applications are invited from young people all across Scotland, and especially from young people with long-term physical or mental health conditions, and those who live rurally.

The young people who take part in the Panel will work with experts from across the health and care sector to look at how digital technology can be used to address health and wellbeing issues for all those living in Scotland and influence changes to the ways in which services are delivered.

Allan Lindsay, Director of Participation and Co-design at Young Scot, said: “This is an incredible opportunity for young people who want to learn about technology and healthcare. It will be a challenge, but it will be a great addition to any young person’s CV and it will give those taking part the chance to influence real change in the future of how Scotland delivers health and care.

“All young people from right across Scotland are encouraged to sign up as this is about the future of all Scots, but we are particularly keen on young people with long-term physical or mental health conditions, as well as people who live rurally, so that the panel can use their own specific experiences of having additional needs when accessing healthcare to help digital healthcare meet the needs of others in the future.”

Dr Margaret Whoriskey, Technology Enabled Care Programme Director at the Scottish Government, said “This is a great opportunity for us to learn more about the views of young people around how Digital Technology can benefit their health and wellbeing. As we move to a more Digital future it is vital that we understand what this means for young people and how they can best access digital tools and services ”

Young people can find out more, and sign up to take part in the panel, on the Young Scot website, or they can email codesign@young.scot