NHS Wales' 'outdated' IT systems face shake-up

Computer services in the NHS in Wales are to get a shake-up, along with £50m funding to speed up changes, the health minster has announced.

It follows an all-party assembly report criticising "outdated" IT systems, a slow pace of change and failures having a "negative impact" on patients.

A new chief digital officer for health and care will lead the project and act as a "champion".

NHS Wales Informatics Services (NWIS) - which runs IT - will be reformed.

The criticism in a report last November by the assembly's public accounts committee had also pointed to a lack of transparency within NWIS and said that it was "overly positive" about the progress it was making.

Health Minister Vaughan Gething said: "I want everyone in Wales to have access to the highest quality digital health and care services, including professionals, the public and patients."

The new chief digital officer will set national standards for digital software and services, as well as advising on strategy.

NWIS will become a special health authority, with an independent chair and board, to reflect its importance.

Analysis by Owain Clarke, BBC Wales health correspondent

An assembly inquiry last year questioned the "competence, capability and capacity" of the body that until now looked after NHS IT systems in Wales

It said there were 21 systems outages in the first half of last year alone as NWIS struggled to keep old systems functioning while bringing in new systems when cash is tight.

It's a classic example of the dilemma facing the wider NHS: how to deal with the pressures of now, which are growing ever larger, while trying to plan for tomorrow.

The Welsh Government has now announced a re-boot - there'll be a new organisation, more cash and a new boss - a chief digital officer for health and care in Wales.

But the challenges are already immense given doctors and nurses report IT problems, as well as outdated buildings and infrastructure, are regularly hindering their ability to deliver care to patients.

• Outdated NHS Wales IT system 'needs a reboot'

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• Unlocking innovation 'key to NHS success'

'Absolutely essential'

Last year's report was called a "wake-up call".

Although NWIS was established in 2010 to drive forward electronic patient records, the report said there were "too many cases" where the NHS relied on outdated, paper-based records.

A £50m digital priorities investment fund will now look at improvements in five areas:

• Transforming digital services for patients and public

• Transforming digital services for professionals

• Investing in data and intelligent information

• Modernising devices and moving to cloud services

• Cyber-security and resilience

The Welsh Government's health and social care strategy already emphasises the importance of digital services.

Mr Gething said they have an "absolutely essential role" throughout the NHS and social care as well as empowering patients and the public to manage their own health and wellbeing.

The minister has also commissioned four digital health and care reviews which will lead to infrastructure and workforce plans and commercial and communication strategies.

"I am determined that we maintain the pace of transformation, so that we use new digital technologies to benefit the public and patients in Wales, and to make our health and care services sustainable for future generations," he added.

Dr David Bailey, who chairs the BMA's Welsh Council, welcomed the announcement, saying the funding boost had been "sorely needed" for some years.

"Medical professionals have been struggling with poor IT provision and patient care has been affected," he said. "The appointment of an independent chair and board will also make it easier for those in charge to be held accountable."

Darren Hughes, director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, which represents health boards, called it a positive step and said it would provide "welcome clarity" around governance and funding.

"Digital services are going to play an increasingly vital role in how patients receive services and the NHS operates," he said. "What we need to see is greater digital innovation across the service to allow the public to access the right care, at the right time, in the right place and in a way that makes the best use of the services finite resources."