Scrutiny of Digital Health and Care Wales

Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW) was established as a new Special Health Authority in April 2021, replacing the National Wales Informatics Service. Its roles in transforming health and social care delivery in Wales include: delivering new digital solutions, supporting frontline staff with modern systems, and improving approaches to using, sharing and storing data.

The Health and Social Care Committee and the Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee have agreed to work together to scrutinise DHCW.

In particular, the Committees will consider:

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>>>    The process of establishing DCHW and progress in the first year, progress achieved and outstanding challenges.

>>>    Progress on recommendations of Fifth Senedd Public Accounts Committee reports.

>>>    Prioritisation and manageability of the work programme and change agenda, including workforce, skills issue,cybersecurity and any other areas of particular pressure or concern.

>>>    Relationship with local health boards, NHS trusts, local authorities, social services providers, and other key stakeholders including patient and patient groups.

>>>    Workforce and skills capacity within other health and care bodies; whether they have sufficient capacity to engage and potential impact on delivery of DHCW priorities.

>>>    Assessing the impact of DHCW’s work and whether it’s achieving its objectives.

>>>    Data transparency, accessibility, quality, and comparability with health and social care data and key performance indicators across the UK.

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Evidence gathering

We want to make sure that our work is informed by experiences, needs, and views that reflect the diversity of the people and communities affected by these issues.

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>>>The Committee received 20 written responses to our call for evidence.

>>>On 26 October 2022 the Committees held a concurrent meeting to take oral evidence from DHCW.

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On 5 July 2023 the Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee and the Health and Social Care Committee published their report. The Committees have requested written responses from the Welsh Government and Digital Health and Care Wales.