A wnaiff y Gweinidog amlinellu pa gynlluniau sydd gan Lywodraeth Cymru i wella cyflymder y broses o rannu gwybodaeth am gleifion o fewn y GIG ac a yw'n bwriadu integreiddio technoleg e-iechyd i'r cynlluniau hyn?
Our commitment to digital transformation in NHS Wales is outlined in A Healthier Wales, our long term plan for health and social care. This includes significantly increasing the emphasis on, and investment in, digital infrastructure and technologies, supported by stronger national digital leadership and delivery arrangements. The autumn budget confirmed an additional £50m investment in digital priorities which will accelerate information sharing and the use of new technologies.
Up to date information is available across NHS Wales, through national digital solutions such as the Welsh Clinical Portal (WCP). Electronic referrals for outpatient appointments and specialist care can be made directly from GPs in primary care to consultants in secondary care. These digital patient referrals can be fully processed in less than an hour, in contrast to days or weeks for paper-based referrals. Summary information from a patient’s full GP medical record can also be viewed through hospital systems.
Wales is one of the first countries to use a national test results service. In June 2019, over 750,000 distinct result reports were viewed in the Welsh Results Reporting Service. This is a 21% increase in the number of reports viewed in June 2018. Over 38,000 of these reports were viewed outside the originating health board area. Clinicians in Wales can also view documents across Wales through the Wales Clinical Portal. In June 2019, over 250,000 documents were viewed, with 32,000 of them across organisational boundaries.
In primary care, community pharmacists also use national digital systems to access and share information. The Choose Pharmacy system has been rolled out to 703 of the 716 community pharmacies in Wales. Pharmacists at enabled sites can view the patient’s GP record and supply prescribed medicines to patients in an emergency.
There are several digital projects in progress that will further improve the sharing of information. For example, community nurses in Swansea Bay are using mobile devices to access the Wales Clinical Portal remotely, reducing the number of times they return to base each day and enabling them to see patient demographics, blood results and GP record summaries at the point of care. Pilot projects at Cardiff Prison and in the Air Ambulance allow healthcare professionals to access patient information from outside traditional healthcare settings, including GP records and test results.
In hospitals, the national patient flow management programme will provide real time inpatient care management information, both within and across health organisations in Wales. The programme will combine bedside technology with real time patient information to improve efficiency and quality, reducing length of stay, and providing better experience and outcomes for patients. The national programme will make use of local patient monitoring solutions across Wales, such as the early warning system currently being trialled on wards at Ysbyty Gwynedd, which I was able to see in operation on a visit to the hospital on 6 June.