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November 2015 
New system to improve quality of care for mental health and learning disability patients
CCAPS nominated for Best Value in Healthcare award
  
A new tool to deliver best value for money for mental health and learning disability patients has been launched by the Deputy Health Minister for Wales, Vaughan Gething.
  
The Commissioning Care Assurance Performance System (CCAPS) system has been designed for use by the NHS and Local Authority commissioners.  The system oversees the quality of care being delivered to patients from Wales in independent hospitals in England and Wales and NHS England. 
 
When a patient needs to be admitted for care, the system shows a one stop view with a comparison of the providers available, highlighting cost per night, quality of care rating, distance from the preferred location and number of beds available.  The comparison capability has led to financial savings, resulting in the system being a finalist at the Health Service Journal Awards for Value in Health Care in September.
 
When a patient is in a care setting, it also allows care co-ordinators to monitor the patient's progress, highlighting any incidents that occur and any complaints received.  This allows staff to ensure that patients are getting the best quality of care.
 
"It is an excellent system," says Rosemarie Williams, who uses the system in her management role within mental health.  "It is so easy to use and gives you all the information you need for clients, providers and for extracting data."
 
CCAPS is now approaching a second phase looking at patient care being commissioned by local authorities, this is scheduled to be rolled out mid 2016.
All-Wales solution links GPs to test results
New national system connects GPs with pathology and radiology results
 
A national "GP Links Messaging Solution" for sending pathology and radiology results to all GP systems in Wales is now being implemented.
 
The new system replaces all existing health board solutions and provides a standard All-Wales approach for GPs to acquire results electronically. It also provides primary care in Wales with a platform for new and improved services currently being developed or planned.
  
The link connects practices to the national Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) and was piloted in Cwm Taf University Health Board before its rollout nationally. 
 
All health boards in Wales are scheduled to have completed the transfer to the new system by the end of January 2016.
New clinical informatics council set up
Council meets with health board clinicians to provide direction for national products and services
   
The first meeting of the new Welsh Clinical Informatics Council (WCIC) has taken place.
 
The Council is a forum set up by medical director Rhidian Hurle to engage directly with clinicians from the health boards and representatives from nursing and therapies. It will replace some of the existing clinical reference groups.
 
The WCIC will provide an assurance and design function on 'Once for Wales' national products and services.
 
Each health board will have two clinical representatives on the Council, who will be expected to lead local clinical informatics groups within their own health boards, creating a clinical informatics network across Wales.
Ewch i'n gwefan am fersiwn iaith Gymraeg o'r cylchlythyr hwn.
Informatics @ Events
 
How is ICT used in Welsh healthcare?
  
The British Computer Society (BCS) Chartered Institute for IT is running evening events providing perspectives of how Information Communications Technology (ICT) is put to use in healthcare in Wales.

Dec 8th: Focuses on data protection, information sharing, persuading the public, cross border issues, training staff, and Caldicott guidance.

Jan 12th: A view of national systems - how sharing laboratory and radiology data benefits clinicians and patients in Wales.
  
These events will be held in our Ty Glan-yr-Afon office in Cardiff. The events are free.
  
For more information or book online, head to the BCS events webpage.
Informatics in Words
World Class Service
  
"We're now recognised as amongst the first NHS organisations in the UK for meeting International Standards for quality for IT Service Management. It means health boards in Wales can be confident that we provide a World Class service for delivering and supporting their IT services."
  
Quality Improvement Manager, Janet Sampson speaking about NHS Wales Informatics Service being awarded ISO20000 certification by  the International Organisation for Standardisation for IT Service Management.
  
Recently, NHS Wales Informatics Service was also awarded updated ISO27001 certification for quality in its Information Security Management Systems.
Informatics in the News
Substance Abuse Service provides health and social services with vital data
  
A very successful component of our service delivery is the Substance Misuse System and Analysis Service.
  
NHS Wales Informatics Service has just published the 2014-15 Substance Misuse Annual Report and associated statistical datasets on behalf of Welsh Government and those NHS and voluntary agencies that provide drug, alcohol and other substance misuse treatment services. The data is used to analyze trends and improve our nation's health and social care.
  
Collected data is also used by many media outlets to make  figures even more available to the public.
Gwybodeg y Cymraeg
  
A Welsh language version of our newsletter is now available.
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