DIGITAL HEALTH AND CARE WALES
“ We can ’ t achieve our ambitions on our own . It ’ s more than the NHS Wales family , and wider than health and care Wales ; all health systems are facing the same challenges and there is so much we can learn from others across the UK and internationally , and from universities and industry .”
The digital strategy at Digital Health and Care Wales Evans sees advantages in the way Wales is structured and its relatively small scale .
“ It ’ s interesting that when you go to digital health conferences , it tends to be larger countries who lead on describing challenges and smaller countries who present examples of good practice and innovative solutions .
I think it helps that in NHS Wales we are relatively consolidated . We have seven health boards responsible for all health services in their region ; they are integrated , from public health through primary and secondary care to specialist services ,” said Evans .
Resource allocation and prioritisation in NHS Wales is directed through a planned approach , guided by ‘ A Healthier Wales ’, a combined health and social care strategy published in 2018 . In his Welsh Government role , Evans was the lead author :
“ A Healthier Wales has been reinforced in many ways by the COVID-19 pandemic response . There was stronger national direction , digital and data were the main enablers , and all the emphasis was on prevention and on delivering services outside hospital , into communities and homes .” Wales is now using the strategy to frame its approach to recovery and transformation , reinforcing the emphasis on a ‘ whole system approach ’, and on ‘ new models of seamless health and social care ’ which are coordinated around the needs of the individual .
Evans is clear that digital data and technology will play a major part in driving these changes , helping health boards deliver earlier detection and diagnostics and more personalised interventions , which focus on improving wellbeing and patient reported outcomes .
Building partnerships for stronger healthcare Digital Health and Care Wales is building strong partnerships with industry . Red Cortex is a Welsh business that has grown rapidly and was recently acquired by AIM listed TPXimpact .
“ We worked closely with Red Cortex on our Office 365 rollout in response to COVID-19 ,” said Evans . “ The team there helped us deploy
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