Congratulations to all winners of the HSJ Partnership Awards 2022, which recognises the most effective collaborations with the NHS. 

We're shining a spotlight on NHS Wales who, alongside RLDatix, were finalists in the Most Effective Contribution to Patient Safety category, recognising the positive impact the Once for Wales Concerns Management System is having on patient safety across the nation. 

What is the Once for Wales Concerns Management System?
The Once for Wales Concerns Management System took its inspiration from "Using the Gift of Complaints", an independent review that looked into the way NHS Wales handles concerns, that was led by Keith Evans. The ambition is to improve patient safety and ensure that patients and their families receive an excellent, consistent experience with similar processes and responses no matter who they have contact with at NHS Wales - some 90,000 staff.

As part of the project, NHS Wales is bringing together disparate systems and utilising DatixCloudIQ (DCIQ) as a single system for the consistent handling of incidents, complaints, claims, redress cases, risk registers, safeguarding referrals and mortality review records with unified data for the whole of Wales, making it possible to analyse information across different types of data in a way that makes sense. The project is standardising processes, facilitating national learning and creating a seamless patient safety workflow for the whole of Wales. 

As part of a more proactive approach to patient safety, experiences can be shared across all care organisations that make up NHS Wales so that people can learn from each other. There is now just one system for all patient safety related information, meaning there is no need to access other systems for information, no need to rekey information, nothing is missed and there is only one version of the truth. This focused approach provides a better understanding of all safety data, enabling improvements and learning at all levels, ultimately helping to keep patients and health workers safe.

The Once for Wales Concerns Management System standardises approaches to patient safety and shares learnings, critical trends, insights and recommendations across all Health Boards, Trusts and other health bodies in Wales, including primary care practices, dental and optometry practices. The project is enhancing collaboration, shared learning and improved patient safety.

I’m extremely proud of all the teams across NHS Wales who have had their hard work recognised as a finalist for the Most Effective Contribution to Patient Safety Award. Our success so far is making a huge difference to patient safety and I look forward to continuing our collaboration with RLDatix to ensure we continue to provide the safest care possible to patients and families across the nation.

Jonathan Webb, Head of Safety & Learning, Head of Safety & Learning at NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership

The results so far

• A single integrated system for all patient safety related information, providing one version of the truth.
• Fast and easy processes: no need to re-key information or access other systems for information.  
• The simplicity of the solution encourages reporting and prompt, proportionate investigations.
• Significant time saved for reporters, investigators and other people using the system, which increases staff engagement.  
• A focused approach to patient safety providing a better understanding of all safety data, enabling improvements and learning at all levels, ultimately helping to keep patients and health workers safe.
• Training time and costs are also reduced, as everyone is using the same system even if they move departments or work for different health bodies across NHS Wales.
   

Get in touch with us to find out more about the Once for Wales Concerns Management System and how RLDatix is supporting the project.