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Becoming a fully digitised care provider

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has set out an ambition for all care providers to be fully digitised by the end of this parliament.  

A fully digitised care provider is a Care Quality Commission (CQC) registered care provider that is: 

  • using an assured digital social care record (DSCR) solution
  • meeting the ‘standards met’ level on the data security and protection toolkit (DSPT) 

Benefits of being fully digitised 

Being fully digitised helps care providers to: 

  • keep accurate, secure records
  • meet regulatory standards
  • reduce time spent on manual tasks
  • improve care quality and safety
  • access core GP information and, in the future, will help care professionals to access essential real-time information from across health and care settings 

What is a digital social care record? 

Digital social care records (DSCRs) are software solutions for recording a person’s care information. They replace paper records. This is sometimes called an electronic or digital care plan, care record or care management system.  

Benefits of using a DSCR 

Using DSCRs will help you to: 

  • share up-to-date information more easily
  • reduce time spent on admin tasks
  • improve the safety and quality of your care records
  • provide person-centred care 

Benefits of using an assured DSCR 

What is the Assured Solutions List?  

The assured solutions list is a list of recommended digital social care record software solutions. Solutions on the list have been assured by NHS England. 

All solutions on this list offer the core functional capabilities social care providers need from a DSCR.  

NHS England will continue to develop these standards based on the needs of social care providers. Some DSCR solutions may be removed from the list if they do not continue to meet them. 

View the assured solutions list for digital social care records.

Current benefits 

You can trust that assured solutions: 

  • offer the minimum required features to meet the basic needs of social care providers, such as generating reports and seeing changes to records 
  • comply with national standards for safety, security and interoperability
  • can help meet CQC regulations on good governance 
  • For example, through assured DSCRs, appropriate staff can access core patient information for the people in their care via GP Connect. 

Future benefits 

In the future, assured DSCR solutions will be able to connect to other systems across health and social care. 

  • For example, assured digital social care records are an essential part of the vision for the Single Patient Record. This will give people a single, secure and authoritative account of their data and a single record across health and care settings to enable more co-ordinated, personalised and predictive care.
  • Key information about an individual’s care contained in an assured digital social care record would be shared through the Single Patient Record, with appropriate governance and controls.   

This means care professionals would have real-time access to essential information, enabling better assessment and planning for individuals.  

Unassured solutions may not be able to share data in this way.   

What is the Data Security Protection Toolkit? 

The data security and protection toolkit (DSPT) is a free online self-assessment that helps you check and improve how you keep people's information safe.  

It's not just about digital records. The DSPT covers any information you hold about anyone – including paper records – relating to:  

  • The people who use your services
  • Your staff
  • Funders and partners
  • Visitors  

The DSPT helps you assess your data security and protection policies, procedures and processes. It's widely recognised by the CQC, local authorities and the NHS as evidence of your commitment to information security.  

All CQC-regulated adult social care providers in England must complete the DSPT. This is a legal requirement under the Health and Social Care Act 2012, as amended by the Health and Care Act 2022.  

Find out more about the Data Security and Protection Toolkit on the Digital Care Hub. 

Data security benefits 

The data security and protection toolkit will help your organisation to check and improve how you keep information safe. This includes information about: 

  • people drawing on care and support
  • their friends and families
  • people who work in your organisation 

 Once you've achieved 'Standards Met', you become eligible to access:  

  • NHS Mail (NHSmail)
  • GP Connect
  • Proxy Access
  • Shared Care Records  

The DSPT is widely recognised across the CQC, local authorities and the NHS. It shows both commissioners and the public your organisation’s commitment to data security.