July 2021
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Apologies, we included an accidental broken link in the Welsh vaccine passport news story. Please find the corrected link to the Welsh Government website below.
DHCW pleased to enable the Welsh vaccine passport  
We’re helping to give Welsh people access to vaccination ‘passport’ certificates. 

Our tech and data experts have worked collaboratively with NHS Digital to develop a solution to ensure Welsh vaccination data is available through NHS England’s digital COVID Pass service. 

This means people in Wales can now access their vaccination status on the internet if they need to travel urgently and meet the vaccine requirements relevant to the country they are travelling to. The NHS COVID Pass can be accessed here.

On day one (25 June) DHCW uploaded over 3.7 million records to the COVID pass service, with ongoing data flows to keep vaccine records up to date. 

We  also developed the software and database needed to manage requests from people requesting a COVID pass letter. 

NHS COVID Pass letters have been available in Wales since May for those who need to urgently travel internationally and provide proof of their vaccination status, with certificates being sent in the post. To date over 18,000 have been requested. The letters will continue to be issued only for people who are unable to access the digital Pass through the Welsh Vaccination Certification Service (WVCS), delivered by Swansea Council’s contact tracing team. People can request a bilingual NHS COVID Pass letter by calling 0300 303 5667. 

The NHS App that is used in England is not available for people to use in Wales currently. 
Access to genetics results allows for more personalised cancer treatments

Doctors in Wales are now able to access digital genetic test results for urgent cancer patients, following a recent update to the Welsh Clinical Portal (WCP).

Sight of this additional data means clinicians are able to identify whether genetic changes in patients could impact their treatment, allowing for the development of more personalised treatment plans.

Dr Samantha Cox, Consultant Clinical Oncologist, said:
“The use of genetic testing in oncology is rapidly increasing and offers an exciting opportunity to tailor treatment for patients who are found to have certain changes in the genetic make-up of cells in their blood or tumour. However, in order to identify suitable patients and to ensure cancer treatments are given safely and in a timely manner, it is vital that the full original and unabridged report can be easily accessed by all members of the multidisciplinary team, regardless of which health board or speciality requested the test." 
 
"The uploading of AWMGS cancer genomics reports onto WCP is a fantastic service development which is already benefiting patient care, especially given the recent move to virtual medicine and remote working during COVID19. Results are now safely documented and stored in a central, electronic location and as reports are easily searched for (using the ‘GEN’ filter function on the WCP ‘Tests’ tab), clinical time is saved which means we can focus on planning and delivering patient care rather than chasing results. A huge thanks to all those involved who have worked to achieving this at pace despite the challenges of the last 12 months”.
 
The data, which is now available in the WCP via the All Wales Medical Genomics Service, includes urgent cancer test results covering a range of different types of cancer.
 
The WCP is available to clinicians in all health boards across Wales and works by sharing and displaying digital patient information from a number of sources with a single log-on, even if that information is spread across health organisations. With information in one place it means clinicians always have access to up to date and accurate patient records.
 
The system has recently become available as a mobile app, and is currently used by more than 27,000 NHS Wales health professionals.
Better access to patient information for Choose Pharmacy
Community pharmacists in Wales are to be given increased access to patients’ GP medical records as part of the Choose Pharmacy service, to help them care for more people with minor illnesses.
 
A new agreement between GPC Wales and Digital Health and Care Wales means pharmacists will have access to a patient’s Welsh GP record, with their consent, to support safe and effective decision-making.
 
Community pharmacists across Wales are already able to use the Choose Pharmacy service to access the patient’s GP record to support some aspects of care, such as for emergency medication prescriptions or for use by pharmacists who are also Independent
Prescribers. Choose Pharmacy is also used to record consultations, share information with relevant healthcare professionals, and generate claims for payment. 
 
Approval from GPC Wales now means Choose Pharmacy can be developed to include Welsh GP Record (WGPR) access in all current and future modules. WGPR access will be restricted to appropriately accredited community pharmacy users.
With many pharmacies offering a growing number of NHS Wales’ services, access for qualified pharmacists to the patient’s medical record is needed to ensure safe and effective care.

Welcoming the agreement Andrew Evans, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, Welsh Government said:

“The agreement between GPC Wales and Digital Health and Care Wales represents a significant step forward in access to the information pharmacists working in the community need to provide the highest standards of pharmaceutical care. Wider access to the Welsh GP record for community pharmacy recognises the increasingly clinical contribution that community pharmacists can make in improving the health of citizens in Wales.”
Specialist Immunisation Nurse, Hayley Gayle, is part of the immunisation team at Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, delivering the world leading COVID-19 vaccination programme.

Working out of Raven’s Court mass vaccination centre in Bridgend, Hayley uses the Welsh Immunisation System (WIS) to manage, distribute and report vaccinations. Hayley told us how WIS helps her to do her job more efficiently and why she thinks the system plays a crucial role in Wales leading the way with COVID-19 vaccinations.

Do you want to make a difference to patient care? Working for Digital Health and Care Wales you can be part of the digital revolution in healthcare, developing and delivering new services for healthcare staff and patients.

Recently awarded the accolade of the’ Best Place to Work in IT in the UK’ by the British Computer Society we offer flexible working, opportunities for professional development and a range of benefits including support for childcare. Take a look at our latest vacancies.