The ALLIANCE, digital and me

Gozie reflects on supporting citizen engagement, digital inclusion and hopes for the future.

In 2006, Twitter was launched; there was an historic Scottish election and ‘digital’ for many was mostly about which of our camera phones were pushing into 3-megapixel space. I’d just started in the voluntary sector as Membership Officer at the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB Scotland). I was energised by the work around the Review of Community Eye Care Services and our members were driving changes that we could feel, and Scotland had a vision of ‘shifting the balance of care’, better health and social care integration and reduced health inequalities.

The Long Term Conditions Alliance Scotland (LTCAS) was just setting up in Glasgow that summer. Very soon Gaun Yersel – Scotland’s Self Management Strategy would become a go to reference for rights, self management and independent living. The voice of lived experience was growing.

Fast forward to 2026 and I’m also celebrating 20 years in the voluntary sector. I’ve distanced myself from the now dubious Twitter/X, Scottish elections have delivered a sea change in the political landscape and ‘digital’ is the air we all breathe.

I’m also now the Digital Network Officer in the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE) Digital Health and Social Care Programme. I support the Digital Citizen Panel (DCP) with knowledge exchange, user research engagement, capacity building and development opportunities.

The DCP was born in 2021 to support the delivery of the Scottish Government’s Digital Health and Care Strategy. The role of the DCP is to put the voice of people with lived experience at the heart of digital service design and influence development. They bring a ‘critical friend’ approach to digital health and social care improvements – sense-checking accessibility, content and flow of services.

At present the DCP is working with Public Services Delivery Scotland as they rollout the new national digital service MyCare.scot and contributing to NHS24’s Equality Impact Assessment of the NHS inform website. This is an exciting opportunity to influence the design of this service at an early stage.

I often describe the DCP a broad church representing people with lived experience of disability, long term condition or unpaid care. It includes digital inclusion leads, patient, public partners, service delivery staff, volunteers and academics. In my time I’ve focussed on adding variety – both on and offline – to our engagement opportunities and promoting the inclusive design necessary for our members’ participation. This has helped to maintain meaningful connections with DCP members who may be digitally excluded.

To date DCP members have co-hosted our monthly Conversation Café for hybrid events at local level, facilitated workshops and presented at national digital events. Some are involved in other bodies as Patient/Public partners like NHS24, Health Improvement Scotland, access panels and more.  Their enthusiasm across different workstreams means they bring experience and an ‘over the garden fence’ view which is so valued given how interlinked some of our engagement work is.

In 20 years the ALLIANCE has grown to a membership organisation of over 3500 members. Some notable health and wellbeing landmarks have been achieved in Scotland. But there are still stubborn health inequalities, the ‘digital waters’ are getting choppier and 2026 presents an economic instability for our sector and a new social context for our communities.

Thinking of how our sector can rise to the challenges and what the ALLIANCE of 2046 will look like? The DCP is enthusiastic in its role, is growing in confidence with a diverse representation and a common voice. I hope we will continue to co-design digital health and social care but also keeping a focus on exclusion, supporting projects like Pachedu‘s Pachedu E-quality Access and Mhor Collective Digital Champions programme.

Our digital world increasingly offers new layers of opportunity and challenge, particularly in access to health and social care. My dream is the ALLIANCE of 2046 will be agile, lead in inclusive engagement and continue as a leader of bringing a strong collaborative voice to the room, serving the needs of the most marginalised in Scotland. I will have wound by 2046 but I’m confident and proud that the legacy of the DCP will continue to influence the work of the ALLIANCE.

To hear more about the work of the DCP contact: Chigozie.joeadigwe@alliance-scotland.org.uk.

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