NHS Highland
NHS Highland is the statutory NHS Scotland health board providing physical health, mental health, and adult social care services across the Highland and Argyll and Bute council areas, serving a dispersed population of approximately 320,000-400,000 residents through 10,000+ staff and an integrated hospital, community, primary care, and digital service network funded by the Scottish Government.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1948
- HeadquartersInverness, United Kingdom
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What NHS Highland does
NHS Highland is a statutory health board within NHS Scotland, established under the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 and operational since 1948. It is the designated provider of physical health, mental health, and adult social care services across the Highland and Argyll and Bute council areas in northern and western Scotland, serving a geographically dispersed population across one of the largest health board footprints in Scotland. The organisation employs more than 10,000 staff and delivers services through an integrated network that includes acute hospitals such as Raigmore and Lorn and Islands, the newly opened National Treatment Centre - Highland, community hospitals, mental health facilities including the new Craigs Hospital, GP practices, and two health and social care partnerships (Highland HSCP and Argyll and Bute HSCP).
The core service portfolio spans planned and emergency acute care, mental health and learning disability services, primary care, and adult social care. Its digital product layer includes Near Me (a video consultation platform), Patient Hub, telecare/TEC services, and a suite of digital health applications covering self-management (Phio, HOPE, Daylight) and parental support (DadPad). Operational delivery is increasingly anchored on integrated multi-condition models, exemplified by the £6 million SEISMIC SHIFT programme for patients with multiple long-term conditions.
NHS Highland does not operate a commercial revenue model. It is funded primarily through annual revenue and capital allocations from the Scottish Government, supplemented by minor income streams such as charges to non-residents. Its annual budget is in the region of £1.17 billion (approximately $1.4-1.5 billion). There is no external equity funding, no product monetisation, and no commercial go-to-market function; strategic direction is set by the NHS Highland Board in line with Scottish Government policy.
NHS Highland firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NHS Highland
- Legal name
- NHS Highland
- Website
- https://nhshighland.scot.nhs.uk
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1948
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- NHS Highland is the statutory NHS Scotland health board providing physical health, mental health, and adult social care services across the Highland and Argyll and Bute council areas, serving a dispersed population of approximately 320,000-400,000 residents through 10,000+ staff and an integrated hospital, community, primary care, and digital service network funded by the Scottish Government.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
NHS Highland industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Healthcare Services
- NAICS
- General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (6221), Social Assistance (624)
- SIC
- Services-General Medical & Surgical Hospitals, Nec (8062), Services-Home Health Care Services (8082)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Safety-Net & Public Hospitals (HLAFAAAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Hospitals, Clinics & Charitable Healthcare Providers (BPAGACAB), Public/County Primary Care Clinics (HLAFAGAI), Primary Care & General Medicine Virtual Care (HLALAAAA)
Keywords
Where NHS Highland is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Inverness
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
NHS Highland business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others
Distribution channels8 records
Marketing channels8 records
NHS Highland product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NHS Highland is a statutory health board within NHS Scotland that delivers physical and mental health services, primary care, dental, pharmacy, maternity, and adult social care across the Highland and Argyll and Bute council areas. Services are provided free at the point of use through hospitals, GP practices, community facilities, home-based care, and digital channels such as Near Me video consultations and the Patient Hub portal.
Product overview
NHS Highland provides a comprehensive portfolio of health and social care services across the Highland and Argyll and Bute council areas in Scotland. The service portfolio includes acute hospital care (Raigmore Hospital, National Treatment Centre - Highland), community hospitals, and a wide range of community-based services including GP practices, dental services, pharmacies, mental health services, and adult social care. Key digital health products include Near Me (video consultations), Patient Hub (online patient portal), Telecare (remote monitoring), and mobile applications such as Phio (physiotherapy), HOPE (recovery support), Daylight (anxiety management), and DadPad (parenting support). The organization also provides technology enabled care services supporting approximately 13,000 people to live independently. Services are delivered through 14+ hospitals and numerous community facilities, with accessibility features including British Sign Language support and free patient Wi-Fi.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Near Me Video Consultation Service A confidential and secure video consultation service allowing patients to attend pre-arranged appointments remotely using a video call rather than attending in person, provided free at the point of use as part of NHS Highland services.
- Patient Hub A secure online patient portal providing patients with information relating to their care, including access to appointment details and health records.
- Telecare Technology enabled care service providing equipment and monitoring — including sensors and alert systems — to support independent living at home for patients across the Highland and Argyll and Bute areas.
- Phio A digital physiotherapy tool providing faster access to GP physiotherapy services across Argyll and Bute, allowing patients to access musculoskeletal care digitally.
- HOPE (Health Online Patient Engagement) App A drug and alcohol recovery support application helping individuals manage their recovery journey with digital resources and tools.
- Daylight App A smartphone application designed to help users manage worry and anxiety through digital cognitive behavioral therapy techniques.
- DadPad
Quantifiable outcome
- NHS Highland leading £6 million SEISMIC SHIFT programme to design and test new models of care for people with multiple long-term conditions
Companies that use NHS Highland
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
NHS Highland technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
NHS Highland partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves10 records
Expansion highlights5 records
NHS Highland competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- NHS Fife: Mid-sized NHS Scotland board delivering acute, primary, and community services with HSCP integration; provides a like-for-like comparator on integrated care models and Near Me adoption.
- NHS Grampian: A neighbouring north-of-Scotland NHS board serving a mixed urban-rural population including Aberdeen; operates comparable acute hospital, primary care, and community service portfolios under the same NHS Scotland framework.
- NHS Tayside: Scottish health board delivering integrated hospital, community, and primary care across Tayside with similar governance and funding structures to NHS Highland, including shared digital platforms and HSCP partnerships.
- NHS Lanarkshire: Large NHS Scotland board operating three acute hospitals and integrated HSCPs; directly comparable in service mix, scale, and digital platform adoption to NHS Highland.
- NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde: The largest NHS Scotland health board by population, operating a similar portfolio of acute hospitals, primary care, and digital services within a single devolved health system — directly comparable in structure, governance, and funding model to NHS Highland.
- NHS Ayrshire & Arran: Regional NHS Scotland board with similar acute, community, and primary care delivery model, including rural geographies and HSCP integration; useful for cross-board benchmarking.
- NHS Lothian: Another large NHS Scotland health board delivering acute, community, and primary care services with an integrated digital health strategy; shares NHS Scotland governance, funding mechanisms, and digital platform standards (e.g., Near Me) with NHS Highland.
Broad incumbents
- NHS 24: Scotland-wide telehealth and unscheduled-care provider operating the 111 service; overlaps with NHS Highland's Near Me and digital-first care strategy and is a peer in the national digital health ecosystem.
- Public Health Scotland: Scotland's national public health agency that works alongside NHS Highland on population health, vaccination, and health-protection programmes; broader in remit but directly aligned in mandate and governance accountability to Scottish Government.
Regional players
- Vancouver Coastal Health: Canadian public health authority delivering integrated acute, community, and primary care across a vast and geographically dispersed region (including remote coastal communities); internationally comparable to NHS Highland on rural scale and integrated care delivery.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
NHS Highland social profiles
Digital presenceNHS Highland financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NHS Highland leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
NHS Highland subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
NHS Highland funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NHS Highland M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about NHS Highland
What does NHS Highland do?
NHS Highland is a statutory health board within NHS Scotland that delivers physical and mental health services, primary care, dental, pharmacy, maternity, and adult social care across the Highland and Argyll and Bute council areas. Services are provided free at the point of use through hospitals, GP practices, community facilities, home-based care, and digital channels such as Near Me video consultations and the Patient Hub portal.
Is NHS Highland a public or private company?
NHS Highland is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was NHS Highland founded?
NHS Highland was founded in 1948. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is NHS Highland based?
NHS Highland is headquartered in Inverness, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
Who are NHS Highland's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are NHS Fife, NHS Grampian, NHS Tayside, NHS Lanarkshire, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Ayrshire & Arran and NHS Lothian. Broad incumbents are NHS 24 and Public Health Scotland. Vancouver Coastal Health is listed as a regional player.
Does NHS Highland have an API?
No public API is recorded for NHS Highland.
What industry is NHS Highland in?
NHS Highland's product category is Public Healthcare Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAFAAAD, Safety-Net & Public Hospitals, with a secondary code of BPAGACAB, Hospitals, Clinics & Charitable Healthcare Providers. Its NAICS code is 6221 and its SIC code is 8062.