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Country’s healthcare system in a nutshell
Healthcare in Wales is mainly provided by the Welsh public health service, NHS Wales. NHS Wales provides healthcare to all permanent residents which is free at the point of need and paid for from general taxation. Health is a matter that is devolved, and considerable differences are now developing between the public healthcare systems in the different countries of the United Kingdom, collectively the National Health Service (NHS). Though the public system dominates healthcare provision, private healthcare and a wide variety of alternative and complementary treatments are available.
Initially administered by the UK Government, since 1999 NHS Wales has been funded and managed by the Welsh Government.
Public vs private
Unfortunately, we couldn’t find any statistics about healthcare spending in Wales, but only for the UK. If you have access to this information or can put us in touch with someone who has, please contact us at book@patientsknowbest.com
The national PHR
History
In recent years, NHS Wales' Digital Services for Patients and the Public (DSPP) programme- led by Stephen Frith - has undertaken a significant endeavor: the creation of Wales' own version of the NHS App. This initiative followed the realisation that the NHS App in England did not align with Welsh requirements, particularly as the app needed to be bilingual, but also because of different functionality requirements, including giving wider access to health and care services across Wales.
The contract for the app development was awarded to Kainos, which worked with the DSPP programme to build the app. Towards the end of 2022, the app went into private beta with a thousand patients from 10 different GP surgeries trialing the app.
The beta testing was originally due to run until Christmas 2022 but had been extended until the end of March 2023, as it became evident that the intricate network of diverse systems and suppliers within the NHS presented a complex support model.
Nevertheless, the DSPP programme has chosen not to do a public campaign about the app, but rather prioritizse support for GP practices, gradually and consistently introducing the app. This strategy, distinct from England's approach, is designed to ensure GPs comprehend the app's implications for their patients and take ownership of its integration into their practice. There will be a national publicity campaign about the app in the Spring of 2024.
In terms of technical maintenance, the supplier, Kainos, will oversee the app's operation and support for the initial 12 months. Thereafter, the operational system support may pass to Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW).
On April 17thof 2023, the app started public beta testing: it was published on Apple and Google app stores for download, and it also started to be available at NHS Wales App website (English) and Ap GIG Cymru (Cymraeg). This wasn’t the final version of the app, as new functionalities are being released as soon as they are developed.
Features
At the release date, some app functions, such as in-app access to 111 and organ donation online services, were available to all. Other functions are due to be available later, once a person’s GP practice has enabled the functionality, this is the case of appointment booking, repeat prescription re-ordering, and viewing a summary of a GP health record.
It is important to note also that many of the features that the app will display will be provided by a third-party provider, namely Patients Know Best (PKB), which will be integrated with the NHS Wales app from December 2023. These functionalities are: test results, library, symptoms, measurements, journal, care plans and messages, and a direct link to PKB to access all other features. While the NHS Wales App allows patients to access GP records, thanks to the integration with PKB, patients will be able to also view their data from other healthcare providers.
Appointments:
patients can ask for an appointment with the GP(the GP practice decides what appointment types are available)
patients can cancel appointments with the GP through the app
GP Prescriptions:
patients can order a prescription
patients can view your existing repeat prescriptions
patients can view current and past medicines
Depending on the health board or GP practice, patients may see:
medicines the GP has prescribed
any allergies or allergic reactions patients have told their GP about
test results from their GP
"My health timeline" which is a collection of all the patient’s health records and events that is searchable by date and record type
"About me and my care" which is a form that helps patients describe their healthcare needs, wishes, and plans
organ and blood donation services information
Challenges and areas for improvement
Published outcomes - statistics
At the beginning of December 2023, the NHS Wales app had:
202 GP practices onboarded (52% of all practices in Wales), with a plan to
onboard the remaining 48% within March 2024Over 50.000 app downloads by patients via App Store or google play store
3169 appointments have been booked through the app
15855 repeat prescriptions have been ordered
48519 GP health records have been viewed
Bibliography
https://www.gov.wales/written-statement-new-nhs-wales-app
https://www.computerweekly.com/news/365534184/The-Welsh-are-building-a-dragon-of-an-NHS-app