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Let’s take a closer look at some of the latest developments around digital and data from each of NHS Wales’ health boards.

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board

Earlier this year, Aneurin Bevan shared the news that a surgical robot had “successfully completed” its first procedure at the Royal Gwent Hospital’s urology department, following “weeks of extensive training for urology staff” and the addition of machines to meet the Da Vinci robot’s sanitisation needs.

Another announcement highlighted the expansion of Aneurin Bevan and Cardiff and Vale’s QuicDNA project to other health boards, promoting the collection of real-world evidence on the impact of liquid biopsy testing in cancer treatment pathways, and ensuring “patients across Wales can benefit from this pioneering technology”.

The health board also celebrated that some of its patients have begun to benefit from the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS), meaning that prescriptions can be sent electronically from a GP to a pharmacy without the need for a paper form, and that patients “no longer need to visit their surgery to pick up a repeat prescription form”.

On social media, staff from Aneurin Bevan have created their own version of John Lewis Christmas advert, using a dedicated TikTok filter. The board also shared an update on LinkedIn detailing the arrival of new linear accelerator radiotherapy machines, used to deliver high-energy x-rays or electrons to the region of the patient’s tumour”. The machines will form part of the Satellite Radiotherapy Centre, which is “expecting patients in Spring 2025”.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has shared updates on its robotic surgery capabilities, including Ysbyty Gwynedd hospital’s official recognition as “the first NHS robotic training centre in Wales to train other surgeons in robotic knee surgery”.

The board also highlighted the hospital’s milestone of performing “more than 140 robotically assisted surgeries”, following the rollout of robotic surgery across gynaecology and general surgery. The Surgical Versius Robot was first introduced in 2022 at Betsi Cadwaladr as part of the National Robotic Assisted Surgery Programme, which aims to offer patients a less-invasive option for surgery.

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board

News shared from Cardiff and Vale over the last six months includes the launch of a new Dental Access Portal to help patients register for NHS dental services in the region. Launched by DHCW, the portal went live at the end of October, and is expected to be rolled out nationally by the end of the 2024.

The board also highlighted its signing of a Memorandum of Understanding as a “formalised pledge to work with science technology company Illumina” around the development of preventative care genomics in Wales, helping to support the development of new technologies, treatments, and services to support preventative care.

The introduction of electronic prescribing in Cardiff and Vale as part of the wider rollout of the Electronic Prescription Service across Wales has also seen patients getting greater control over how they access their prescriptions, and allowing staff to monitor “at all times” where a prescription is, “eliminating the risk of a piece of paper being lost”.

And the board recently celebrated “10 years of robotic-assisted surgery” at the University Hospital of Wales, with the da Vinci Xi surgical system allowing patients to benefit from “smaller surgical incisions and reduced complications, leading to faster recovery and fewer days in hospital”. Across the health board, there are “five trained surgeons across Urology and ENT, who have operated on more than 2,700 patients from across Wales since September 2014”.

Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board

Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board shared progress around robotic surgery, highlighting its successful use in treating a bowel cancer patient, and outlining that “all suitable patients” diagnosed with this form of cancer are offered robotic surgery as an option in their care.

The health board also announced the launch of a new Digital Health Assessment Platform designed to improve patient outcomes and experiences, initially focusing on heart failure and lymphoedema patients. It shared how staff are being actively encouraged to get involved and explore how Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) “could be integrated into their services in the future”.

Partnering with Nervecentre to deliver a new ePMA is hoped to help “reduce the risk of medication errors, help ensure information is accurate, up-to-date and readily available to support clinical decision making, and ultimately improve patient care” across Cwm Taf Morgannwg. The health board also notes the potential for the solution to offer clinicians “more time to deliver safer and more effective care to patients”.

And a new online CBT service is offering a new perinatal referral pathway with the perinatal team at Cwm Taf Morgannwg, with patient progress being monitored to allow “more serious cases” to be identified for further help. The service is available for anyone in Wales aged over 16, with no need for patients to see their GP or join a waiting list.

Hywel Dda University Health Board

Earlier this year, Hywel Dda University Health Board published a tender worth an estimated £75 million for a digital transformation strategic partner to support them in planning, accessing and managing digital ambitions by leveraging the capacity and expertise of both the health board and the partner.

It is hoped that the long-term partnership will “significantly” accelerate the pace of the health board’s digital response and priorities, with specifications including that the partner be flexible in nature; that they will provide “stable and sustainable” solutions; and that they will work in an integrated way with the health board’s internal teams.

The health board also offers patients the ability to manage their health appointments through the Hywel Dda Post portal, to view their medical information online using the Patients Know Best (PKB) portal, and to access a library of digital health apps reviewed against criteria on data and privacy, usability and accessibility, and clinical and professional assurance.

Powys Teaching Health Board 

Powys Teaching Health Board recently shared its new investment of £1.7 million in digital X-ray equipment, funded by the Welsh government to offer “faster, clearer images” and help “improve diagnostics for the people of Powys”. The new equipment is also hoped to help the health board tackle waiting lists for X-rays and “improve access to treatment”. With the first phase underway at Ystradgynlais, Llandrindod Wells and Welshpool, the second phase is set to begin in January.

A new digital service designed to provide a central platform for Welsh Health Boards to allocate places for routine NHS dental treatment has been piloted at Powys Teaching Health Board. The Dental Access Portal aims to tackle “significant variation” between Health Board allocation of NHS dentist places, which reportedly brings challenges in measuring the “true level of demand” on a local and national level. The portal has been designed and built by Digital Health and Care Wales, ahead of a national roll-out later in the year.

Swansea Bay University Health Board

Swansea Bay University Health Board has highlighted the work of its prehabilitation team in educating and supporting patients waiting for surgery, helping patients stay in shape by offering exercise classes and weight management advice, which they can choose to take in-person or virtually.

The Health Board also shared how a new phone app enabling dental staff to access expert advice had “helped eight out of 10 patients avoid a trip to hospital”, with Swansea Bay thought to be the first region in the UK to implement the Consultant Connect app within dental specialities. With functionality supporting internal messaging and sharing of images to help with getting a second opinion, the Board noted how it had the potential to “reduce the need for face-to-face appointments in the hospital in some cases”.

Taking to social media for International Women’s Day earlier this year, Swansea Bay celebrated its female-led digital transformation team, pointing to their roles as “leading players in four pivotal digital systems” and in “developing and delivering healthcare digital systems which are benefiting patients not only in Swansea Bay, but across NHS Wales”.

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