Iechydd a Gofal Digidol Cymru Digital Health and Care Wales
Why digital technology is now more important than ever for healthcare in Wales Helen Thomas is CEO of Digital Health and Care Wales, the special health authority leading the digital transformation of NHS Wales. As we navigate our way through the next stages of the global pandemic, Helen discusses the increasingly important role digital will play in health and care. Technology has been absolutely critical to support the NHS response to COVID-19, and over the last year has highlighted the wider role digital can play in improving our health and care services. While it’s not always been smooth sailing, it is impressive to consider how the health services we depend on have changed. Technology in healthcare has come to the fore – it’s no longer seen as a background IT system keeping day-to-day operations running, but recognised as central to a modern healthcare approach, and to shaping and leading innovation as we move forward. With tech and data playing a big role in healthcare, we now have the opportunity to consider how much has changed, and what the future looks like. In April, as we began to ease our way out of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the former NHS Wales Informatics Service became Digital Health and Care Wales – a move reflecting the importance of digital and data in modern health. And it makes sense. We depend on technology for so many aspects of our lives; we shop online, we bank online, increasingly over the last year we work and even socialise online. A digital-first approach is already aligned with our lifestyles – why should it be different for health and care? These are examples of how we use digital technology in ways that, hopefully, make our lives easier. Whereas in health, digital technology is mainly used behind the scenes to streamline processes and improve care, leading to a better, integrated service for patients. For example, the recently introduced Welsh Nursing Care Record has replaced the time-consuming paper forms
across Wales to access the single digital health record – bringing together medical information for a patient from many sources and health boards. It can be accessed via the desktop or on the go through a mobile app. More than 28,000 healthcare professionals use the platform which hosts patient records, including test results, images and scans. Meaning wherever you are in Wales, your clinician has the information they need to care for you at their fingertips.
The Choose Pharmacy platform enables community pharmacists to keep a record for each patient, allowing them to help people with minor ailments, treat sore throats or dispense emergency medications, freeing up GPs’ time. This service has been crucial throughout the pandemic, as pharmacies have kept their doors open to patients and have been providing ever more front-line, drop-in support and advice.
As with every move towards a more digital way of life for all of us, there is always concern for how personal data is being collected and shared by the organisations that use it. Privacy is a major priority for DHCW, and all patient information is handled in the strictest confidence wherever it is used, protected using the highest international standards of data, internet and cyber security. Digital literacy still needs improvement to ensure that health technology can benefit all. People without access to the internet
or digital tools will still be supported and empowered with alternative options. Digital services are not replacing existing NHS procedures – there will always be a need for offline, face-to-face services. The past year has further highlighted the incredible compassion, resilience, and determination of our NHS Wales staff at all levels. If used well, digital healthcare can better enable staff to focus on the personal, human elements of care – while streamlining and automating processes like administration and information sharing, creating time and capacity for staff to focus on what matters. There are many things next on the agenda for Digital Health and Care Wales, including the on-boarding of cancer services to the Single Patient Record (Wales Clinical Portal). We’re also looking at eye-care, accelerating referrals into secondary care, and e-prescribing, using digital to enhance and improve the prescribing process. All of this requires lots of hard work and knowledge from the people who work at DHCW, and the increasing demand on digital technology means we are continuing to expand our workforce and recruit more. Last year we were named the ‘best place to work in IT’ at the UK IT Awards, so it’s fair to say digital healthcare is an exciting place to be at the moment if you’re looking for a rewarding career. That said, there are still huge challenges ahead and digital healthcare will be crucial to the future smooth running of our NHS, to support patients, doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals and to provide the best possible healthcare for the people of Wales.
www.dhcw.nhs.wales
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