NHS Wales launches data hub to manage Covid-19 demand

A new data hub that tracks patients across all health systems has been launched by NHS Wales Informatics Service in response to the Covid-19 crisis.

The hub allows healthcare leaders to interpret visual data from all health boards and trust to help them better manage capacity and demand for care for patients diagnosed with coronavirus.

It includes GP appointments; emergency department capacity; calls to NHS 111; statistics for positive tests; the number and location of beds; and beds with ventilators.

The first version of the hub was launched at the end of April and will be continuously updated to meet the needs of the changing situation.

Rebecca Cook, informatics service head of information design and standards, said: “This is a new service developed at speed to help in the fight against Covid-19, with the aim of making it easier to understand the impact of this pandemic at local, national and UK levels.

“All the data is held in our secure data warehouse, with the highest standards of data protection.”

Individual patient information will not be available on the hub.

The hub will be used to help healthcare leaders identify hot-spots and trends in access to healthcare, as well as managing capacity.

All information is held securely by the NHS Wales Informatics Service and is subject to the information governance framework and data protection legislation used by the service, a statement on it’s website said.

Data reports available show:

• Capacity at hospitals in each health board, including admissions and discharges, invasive ventilator beds, other Covid-19 related beds, mortuary spaces and hospitals deaths
• Positive Covid-19 lab tests by local authority
• Daily attendances at hospital emergency departments
• Statistics from the ambulance service and NHS 111 call centres
• GP appointments data