Mental health records revolution gets Welsh Government funding pledge

Mental health services provided by two health boards are set for a significant step forward after the Welsh Government awarded them nearly £17m to revolutionise their patient record systems.

Betsi Cadwaladr (BCUHB) and Cwm Taf Morgannwg (CTMUHB) University Health Boards both submitted successful business cases to fund the move towards fully digitised systems.

Betsi Cadwaladr will receive more than £12m of Welsh Government funding, with Cwm Taf Morgannwg benefiting from around £5m for its scheme. The five-year funding packages are partly conditional on meeting project targets.

Development

The development of digital systems will revolutionise how the administration of patients and their records are managed, making it easier for clinical staff to give continuity of care for patients. It should also speed up referrals for service users, allow more time for clinical practice for staff and help eliminate errors which can occur within paper recording systems.

A total of £16,897,749 is being provided by Welsh Government for the schemes – £12,082,000 to BCUHB and £4,815,749 to CTMUHB. The award is a mix of capital and revenue funding with capital funding reviewed against project milestones for each financial year.

The CEOs of both health boards welcomed the backing for their respective projects, on which they will share learning, as both organisations seek to expand digital record keeping.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board’s CEO, Carol Shillabeer, said: “The health service needs modern digitised systems which keep up with the pace of change in how we work.

“This record and patient management system will be a significant step forward in how we store and retrieve patient information. It will also positively benefit the patients we serve, by enabling staff within the All Ages Mental Health and Learning Disability service to provide the best care possible in a timely manner.

“I’m very grateful to the Welsh Government for their support and their funding for this project, which is one of many digital projects in development and planned for our future across North Wales.

“I’m also pleased that we will be working in close collaboration with Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board in taking this forward.”

Investment

Chief executive of Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, Paul Mears, said: “This investment will transform the way in which we manage patient information in our mental health services, providing significant benefits to both patients and staff.

“This collaborative development with our organisation working in partnership with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board is a great opportunity for our health boards to work together, for us to share learning and ultimately improve the quality of care for our patients.

“This is an important milestone for CTMUHB in our journey to deploy digital technology to make services more efficient and accessible, and to enable our staff to improve the care we provide to our patients.”

Project work to procure suitable systems will lead to selection of a provider, in principle, by the end of this financial year.

CTMUHB adopted Digital Health Care Wales (DHCW’s) electronic prescribing service in some pharmacies in October this year. BCUHB adopted the same service across pharmacies in Conwy in March, 2024