Informing Healthcare

Informing Healthcare was set up by the Welsh Assembly Government in December 2003 to improve healthcare services for people in Wales by introducing modern ways of sharing and using information. It is one of the key enablers for 'Designed For Life'; the national ten year strategy to deliver better health and social care for Wales.

The central aim of the Informing Healthcare programme is to create a 'world class' technical infrastructure for NHS Wales that will allow information to be shared securely irrespective of organisational boundaries. It will also provide a consistent set of information and technology services for all organisations in NHS Wales.

Key principles of the programme are based on:

• A national co-ordinated approach
• Incremental change
• Best use of existing infrastructure and systems
• A balance between immediate improvement and investment in future improvements.

Consideration is also given to local priorities, whilst migrating to national designs and solutions.

Delivery of a single electronic health record for Welsh citizens, improvements to health information systems and development of health informatics staff are primary goals.

Informing Healthcare is based in Pencoed, Wales with North Wales offices in St Asaph. Dr Gwyn Thomas is Informing Healthcare’s Chief Executive Officer.

As part of the reorganisation of NHS Wales, Informing Healthcare has merged with Health Solutions Wales, Business Services Wales and the Primary Care Informatics Programme to create the NHS Wales Informatics Service (NWIS). The new organisation was formed in April 2010.