NHS Wales Informatics Service: Latest News

NHS Wales Informatics Service - Service Guide Published

Mon, 14 May 2012 14:31:18 GMT

Outlining the services provided to NHS Wales, the NWIS Service Guide has now been published.

New Data Dictionary published

Thu, 10 May 2012 14:14:00 GMT

A new version of the NHS Wales Data Dictionary has been released and is helping developers design systems that comply with national standards.

Find out what e-health means for NHS Wales

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:08:24 GMT

A new definition for ehealth was launched through a video animation in conjunction with the NHS Wales Informatics Service Research Laboratories phase two opening event this week.

Purpose built laboratories "hotbed for innovation"

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:16:33 GMT

The Minister for Health and Social Services, Lesley Griffiths has officially opened new state of the art laboratories designed to keep the Welsh NHS in pace with technology.

Improvements for Xray and scan image sharing

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 10:52:36 GMT

Patients are to benefit from investment in a single service that allows digital x-rays, scans and images to be transferred quickly and easily between NHS hospitals, saving NHS Wales up to £15 million, Health Minister Lesley Griffiths announced.

Forum will spotlight My Health Online

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 11:32:20 GMT

NHS Wales Chief Executive David Sissling and Health Minister Lesley Griffiths will be part of the "Future of health services in Wales" policy seminar in Cardiff on 25th June.

New Privacy Advisory Committee to advise on security

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 11:30:05 GMT

A new Privacy Advisory Committee has been launched to consider issues regarding the protection of patient information.

Individual Health Record reaches more GPs

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 11:27:32 GMT

The number of GP practices switching on theIndividual Health Record keeps growing. At the end of January, the IHR reached a total of 300 practices, and is now available in every health board in Wales, following the Abertawe BroMorgannwg go live in January.

Updated website helps smokers quit

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 11:23:39 GMT

The NHS Wales Stop Smoking Wales website now has a new look thanks to involvement from the NWIS corporate applications team.

Palliative Care Project wraps up

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 11:11:36 GMT

The project that has given doctors access to the Welsh cancer care database, Canisc, from any location has been delivered successfully and has now closed.

Gwyn Thomas in top ten on CIO 100

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:30:27 GMT

The CIO UK magazine judging panel felt unanimously that Gwyn Thomas, Chief Information Officer for the Welsh Government should be ranked at seventh out of 100 in a recent poll.

University and informatics staff collaborate on lecture series

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:27:12 GMT

Swansea University and the NHS Wales Informatics Service have collaborated to make sure that students get up to date information about what is happening in the Welsh health service.

Get NWIS news to your email

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 10:07:16 GMT

Have you signed up to receive the newsletter telling you about developments in Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) throughout NHS Wales.

BCS Health in Wales special interest group seminar

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:56:20 GMT

A BCS Health in Wales seminar will focus on the need for an all-Wales health informatics forum, question whether data linkage and population segmentation tools can be used more efficiently, and discuss ICT in healthcare.

NWIS showcases projects at BioWales 2012

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:59:24 GMT

NWIS will be at the International Life Sciences event, BioWales 2012, taking place at the Cardiff Millennium Centre on the 13-14 March.

BCS to award best Healthcare IT projects

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:39:17 GMT

The Chartered Institute for IT (BCS) Health In Wales special interest group is celebrating its formation by awarding two prizes for 2012.

Better data quality for NHS Wales

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 10:16:14 GMT

The quality of data entered into NHS Wales systems keeps improving thanks to a national programme supported by Informatics staff.

Improved searching reduces duplicate records

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 11:35:00 GMT

An improved procedure for registering patients when they arrive at hospital is being tested in Abertawe Bro Morgannwg health board, and is leading to less duplicate records being created.

1000 Lives Plus website shaping national communication

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:22:19 GMT

The 1000 Lives Plus website has undergone a major overhaul to improve ease of access for visitors looking for information about the national patient safety programme.

Health Maps Wales Update

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 13:26:44 GMT

An update to the interactive mapping tool Health Maps Wales, which allows users to analyse data in geographical areas and in health categories, is available.

E-referrals in half of Wales' GP surgeries

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 12:07:30 GMT

Over half of Wales’ GP surgeries are now using e-referrals thanks to a new system which replaces hand-delivered letters - between a GP and hospital - with an electronic form.

Focused IT support for NHS Wales Genetics staff

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 10:20:51 GMT

The IT team which supports Medical Genetics based at the University Hospital of Wales have been able to improve response times to daily IT support queries thanks to using ServicePoint.

NWIS director wins award

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:22:31 GMT

First Minister Carwyn Jones has awarded Clinical Director, Dr Martin Murphy, the Welsh Government’s “Recognising Achievement” award.

A new way to manage acute stroke patients in Wales

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 17:33:02 GMT

The Welsh Government marked World Stroke Day on Saturday by announcing investment in a groundbreaking service that will revolutionise the provision of urgent access to acute stroke expertise.

Barcode technology delivered to Welsh pharmacies

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 08:20:44 GMT

High-tech barcodes are now being used to scan in prescriptions at all 700 high street and local pharmacies in Wales, making it easier and safer to dispense medicines, the NHS Wales Informatics Service has announced.

Website launched to help patients

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:51:07 GMT

A new website produced by NHS Wales and the Welsh Government directs patients in Wales to the best place to get treatment if they fall ill has been launched.

NHS Wales technology supports Child Measurement Programme

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 10:45:54 GMT

An IT system developed by NHS Wales Informatics Service is assisting Public Health Wales with their programme to monitor child growth across Wales.

NHS Wales Informatics Service Achievements Report Published

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 16:01:59 GMT

Highlighting the key successes from the first year as a new organisation. The NHS Wales Informatics Service achievements report has now been published.

Individual Health Record coming to more areas of Wales

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 17:30:20 GMT

The summary GP record that out of hours health professionals can view when treating patients is due to be available across more areas of Wales.

Evaluating for Success

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 10:02:57 GMT

An evaluation toolkit has been designed by NWIS staff. The toolkit ensures that a suitable process is in place to support people with the evaluation of technical products designed for clinical use.

Service requests in one place for NHS Wales staff

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 15:43:14 GMT

A new way of requesting services in NHS Wales is made available to health boards to help manage key areas of their organisation.

E-learning officer part of award winning team

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 15:29:14 GMT

By supporting an online course to improve the expertise of NHS Wales and Social Care staff, E-learning education officer Mike Jones found himself celebrating being part of an award winning team.

Protecting personal information in Wales receives Ministerial backing

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 11:26:43 GMT

Health and other public services have come together through a new board which has been established to provide direction and standards on the sharing of information across Wales.

A clearer view for nurses

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 10:49:13 GMT

A dashboard which gives nurses the ability to review the quality of care being delivered in their clinical area, and in organisations across Wales, has been launched by the Chief Nursing Officer for Wales, Professor Jean White.

NWIS featured in Nursing Magazine

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 15:12:03 GMT

A review written by Research and Evaluation Manager, Daniel Warm and our Director of nursing and social care information, Bev Thomas, has been published in Nursing Standard magazine.

New updates to Health Maps Wales

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:43:42 GMT

The latest release of interactive mapping tool, Health Maps Wales gives users more access to information than ever before.

Wales to extend screening system to support patients

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 12:53:27 GMT

Public Health Wales (PHW) are planning a screening programme for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in Wales; the first all Wales screening programme to target men only.

Cancer Centre and University celebrate 20 year partnership

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 20:14:00 GMT

Post-graduate students from Cardiff University and Information and Technology staff working with Velindre Cancer Centre are celebrating two decades of cutting edge research and improvements to the Clinical Information system called Canisc.

Developments in making information safe

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:59:20 GMT

Two initiatives are currently taking place in NHS Wales and the Welsh public sector around the sharing and protection of information.

Thumbs up for Directory Services

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:43:12 GMT

An active directory which allows IT staff to easily apply national standards on passwords and updates for software is not only making services in Wales more secure but has also got the thumbs up from Microsoft.

Video conferencing aids care

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:39:25 GMT

Video conferencing has been used within paediatric cardiology to allow doctors in Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board to send ultrasound pictures of a baby’s heart to their colleagues in Cardiff University Hospital Wales.

No more hanging on the telephone for GP appointments

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 15:30:47 GMT

The First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones, joined Health Minister Lesley Griffiths at a GP practice in Caerphilly today (Thursday 16 June) to see how improvements in booking systems can benefit patients, doctors and staff.

Palliative care data monitoring improved by clinical system

Fri, 27 May 2011 08:41:08 GMT

Hospices can now record essential data to improve standards and patient care through a project which is the first of its kind in Wales.

Providing GP systems for the future

Thu, 26 May 2011 17:13:45 GMT

A new strategy to ensure GPs in Wales have safe, secure and high specification computer systems for the future, has been published by the NHS Wales Informatics Service.

Pharmacies respond well to online request

Thu, 26 May 2011 09:54:51 GMT

Over 95 per cent of community pharmacies in Wales have responded to an inaugural online questionnaire designed to raise awareness and ensure best practice in information governance.

New updates to Health Maps Wales

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 10:40:06 GMT

The latest release of the interactive mapping tool, Health Maps Wales provides vital updates to key health demographics.

CHIRP set for Wales wide release

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 22:01:29 GMT

Cancer histopathology information services are getting set for roll out into Health Boards across Wales.

Barcoded prescriptions being scanned at pharmacies

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 21:53:22 GMT

Patients in Wales may notice something new when they take their prescriptions to a pharmacy. Prescriptions in Wales include a 2D barcode which can now be scanned in at more than 100 pharmacies across Wales, with more pharmacies coming online in the next few months.

Welsh Clinical Portal goes live in Gwent

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 21:34:02 GMT

Clinicians at a hospital in Ebbw Vale can now request pathology tests and view results electronically while working on a mental health ward.

Myrddin system extends to Swansea

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 21:29:19 GMT

A patient administration system (PAS) has been successfully implemented into Swansea Hospitals taking another step towards the NHS Wales developed system being rolled out across all health boards in Wales.

Securing the future of HI careers

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 21:10:34 GMT

Health informatics professionals have been shaping the future of the profession by helping to develop an upgraded online route map at a national workshop.

Your information, your rights

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 15:30:22 GMT

A new leaflet has been published which explains why NHS Wales collects individual health information and how the information is used.

IHR roll out gathers pace

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 09:25:45 GMT

A new online health record for use in out of hours care is now available for patients registered at one in three (147) Welsh GP practices.

Helping Patients to Choose Well

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 15:29:30 GMT

Choose Well, the information campaign to help patients decide where to get the best treatment if they fall ill or are injured is now live on local health board websites.

A shared clinical record is essential to palliative care teams

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 11:14:13 GMT

Access to adequate clinical information is essential in the delivery of Out of Hours care according to a recent case report, in the Royal College of Physician’s publication - Clinical Medicine.

Wales -- a world leader in digital healthcare

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 09:36:47 GMT

Wales is firmly establishing itself as a world leader in the use of digital technologies to improve patient safety and the quality of health and social care, the Health Minister, Edwina Hart said today.

Interactive mapping invaluable to Public Health

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 10:05:36 GMT

An interactive mapping tool, known as Health Maps Wales, offers readily available population data and trends and is allowing Public Health to predict patterns of where ill health might occur.

Pharmacies keeping information safe

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 12:13:34 GMT

A new online toolkit, to support the launch of the ISMS service for community pharmacies, will make it easier to provide assurance that they are following best practice and keeping patient information safely and securely.

Wales great for eHealth

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 11:58:04 GMT

An innovation centre launched in Swansea is focusing industry on eHealth and aims to make Wales the place people think of when they ask “where do they do great e-health research and innovation?”.

E-learning tool reaches 10,000 users

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 11:38:37 GMT

An e-learning tool, with around 70 courses, known as Learning@NHSWales has signed on its 10,000th student.

NHS Wales' life saving software extended to Northern Ireland

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 11:06:18 GMT

Software developed by the NHS Wales Informatics Service is helping to save the lives of people with bowel cancer in Northern Ireland.

Reducing the burden on Clinical staff

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 13:19:01 GMT

Following a recent review, unnecessary data collections across NHS Wales will be stopped to save clinical time.

Individual Health Record expands in Wales

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 15:09:46 GMT

The individual health record (IHR) is now available for patients in five out of seven NHS Wales health board areas. With coverage across Wales set for 2011.

E-referrals now in 71 practices

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 10:06:45 GMT

Over 20,000 electronic referrals have been sent between GP practices and hospitals in the Cardiff, Vale, Bridgend and Swansea areas in the last five months.

GP practices to receive e-discharge

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 10:24:19 GMT

GP practices with access to the Welsh Clinical Communications Gateway will be able to receive electronic discharge information in an early adopter location starting next year.

Electronic prescription success

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 09:30:28 GMT

A number of pharmacies across Wales are now piloting 2-Dimensional barcode prescription scans that will transfer patient and drug information from a paper prescription straight into their pharmacy dispensing system.

GP system suppliers sign up for the Individual Health Record

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 09:02:50 GMT

A ground-breaking agreement has been signed with the main suppliers of computer systems to GP practices across Wales, to deliver the NHS Wales Individual Health Record (IHR) service.

Electronic NHS Alerts Service (ENAS)

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 11:41:00 GMT

A new, fast health and drug alerts service for community pharmacies in Wales, was launched today (1 October). It replaces the previous system of postal and fax alerts and aims to improve patient safety by giving community pharmacies immediate information about drug recalls and hazard alerts.

Stamp of approval for security

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 15:42:00 GMT

An NHS Wales security team has now achieved certification to the Information Security based standard ISO/IEC 27001. This ‘gold-standard’ award demonstrates that the organisation takes information security seriously, ensuring all possible steps are taken to deliver services professionally and securely.

Charity latest to sign-up to WASPI

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 15:35:24 GMT

Mantell Gwynedd - a Gwynedd voluntary action charity - is the latest organisation to sign up to the Wales Accord on the Sharing of Personal Information (WASPI).

Testing underway for Master Patient Index

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 15:23:02 GMT

A system that makes it easier to ensure patients are correctly identified and minimises the number of duplicate health records held for each patient, is being tested in three health boards.

Advances in IT aid radiologists

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 13:17:56 GMT

An upgraded version of the Radiology Management System - Radis2, used in Wales, is now getting closer to being the national system. Hospital radiology is also using a national set of codes to improve patient care.

NHS Wales Informatics Service - the new organisation

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 14:33:14 GMT

The NHS Wales’ Informatics Service was established on 1 April, 2010, as part of the healthcare reform programme. It brings together the strategic development of Information Communications Technology (ICT), the delivery of operational ICT services and information management.

British Computer Society event to focus on Wales

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:24:56 GMT

The British Computer Society (BCS) is putting together a regional health specialist interest group in Wales, which will focus on the importance of Health Informatics to the delivery of patient care in NHS Wales.

Websites reach new heights

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 14:21:34 GMT

Across Wales, NHS organisations are benefiting from a content management system developed in-house that allows them to easily publish local health information on their websites.

Pathology services boost for Wales

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 11:11:45 GMT

Health Minister Edwina Hart has approved final plans to improve pathology services across Wales. £12.1m Welsh Assembly Government funding will be used to update the software that links IT systems and data storage in each laboratory.

Public Sector network to improve capacity

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:53:34 GMT

Key information and communication technology (ICT) networks that have already been improved via the public sector broadband aggregation (PSBA) will now be improved further through a PSBA2 project.

Better Breathing in spotlight for study

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 11:16:33 GMT

A six month study of 40 COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) patients in Wales showed that telemonitoring was a safe way for patients to record their symptoms and transmit data electronically back to a nurse via a home telephone line.

E-Health Industries Innovation (EHi2) Centre for Wales

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 13:19:19 GMT

Companies developing the latest technologies to improve healthcare in Wales – ranging from remote monitoring of patients to accessing medical records from a mobile – are set to benefit from a new innovation centre in Swansea.

New NHS Wales internet site launches

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:59:33 GMT

The new Health in Wales bilingual website provides a single point of access for those seeking information about the health of the people of Wales and information about the health and social care services provided by NHS Wales.

Pathology services boost for Wales

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:51:19 GMT

Pathology Handbook reviewed for Wales

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:28:59 GMT

Wales’ Pathology Handbook is being reviewed and updated to ensure it is fit for purpose for the future of pathology services across Wales.

First electronic histopathology reports go live

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:24:52 GMT

A new way of recording histopathology information has been launched in Prince Charles hospital, Merthyr.

Welsh Language achievements in healthcare systems

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 14:18:09 GMT

A reference group set up to consider how the Welsh language is included into new and improved healthcare systems has published a series of achievements to date.

Myrddin expanding across NHS Wales

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 11:32:57 GMT

The Myrddin system, developed by NHS Wales and sponsored by Informing Healthcare, will be in use by the majority of NHS Wales by the end of 2012.

E-referrals extend to more practices

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 10:57:25 GMT

More GP practices move to electronic referrals in the Cardiff, Vale and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg areas with over 6000 being sent successfully since a pilot began in December 2009.

Websites reach new heights

Thu, 27 May 2010 10:01:13 GMT

Across Wales, NHS organisations are benefiting from a content management system developed in-house that allows them to easily publish local health information on their websites.

One number -- making it easier to get IT help

Thu, 27 May 2010 09:30:30 GMT

Staff at hospitals across Wales are starting to benefit from a new service desk and one single number to dial for IT support.

GP Practices trial new Primary Care Service Desk

Wed, 26 May 2010 16:19:51 GMT

Problems with computers at GP practices can cause disruption to patients, and hours of staff time taken up trying to resolve IT issues.