Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW) has launched a digital inclusion charter, formed to support and champion organisations working in the public, private or third sector, who are willing to promote basic digital skills and help people get online.
Announced at a DHCW event, Helen Herklots, commissioner for older people in Wales, said: “By listening and getting organisations and the voluntary sector working alongside each other, we can really embrace and use digital for good.”
“What we want to do in Wales is make inclusion an intended consequence, not exclusion an unintended consequence of digital innovation in health care,” said Simon Jones, Chair of DHCW of the intentions of the charter.
The event, which was co-hosted by DHCW, the Welsh council for voluntary Action and Cwmpas, aimed to bring together different organisations and improve digital equity and ensure those that need to, can gain access to digital systems that are being developed.
Speaking further, Simon added that “people are going to see more opportunities for digital engagement with their services and managing their own care much more” and “Wales will see a continuous development of digital systems and tools”. One example of this continuous drive for digital development is a new contract announced last month for an NHS Wales dental referral management system. Patients who need specialist dental care will be able to track their referrals through the service, after the new contract between DHCW and provider RMS Ltd was agreed to run from June 2023 to May 2027.
Wales has also previously supported other digital tools to improve the delivery of health and social care, such as using AI pain management tech, and a £100m framework for hospital electronic prescribing.
Next week at HTN, we’re hosting a webinar with Thrive by Design (part of Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust) and the Digital Mental Health Team at NHS England and Improvement, focusing on ‘tackling digital exclusion in mental health services’. Register to attend here.
