Vale of Clwyd MP Dr James Davies has made fresh calls for UK-wide compatible and interoperable data in the NHS to ensure patients in Wales receive the same level of service as those in other parts of the UK.
James, who is a practising GP, is concerned that patients in Wales often receive inferior levels of service in comparison to patients in England and has previously said that introducing UK-wide health data would help ensure more equal health outcomes across the UK.
With a new UK Health Secretary, Dr Thérèse Coffey, now in place, James has raised the matter again in Parliament, calling for her to affirm her commitment to this approach going forward.
Speaking in the House of Commons recently in response to the Health Secretary’s statement on the UK Government’s ‘plan for patients’, James also spoke of the “extreme concern over the state of the NHS in North Wales”.
He said:
“I welcome this plan for patients, which recognises the importance of data in the NHS in England. My right hon. Friend will be aware of extreme concern over the state of the NHS in North Wales. Will she therefore affirm her commitment to UK-wide compatible and interoperable data in the NHS and the potential for the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill to bring that about?”
The Secretary of State replied:
“I thank my hon. Friend, who is a practising GP and who is very committed to his constituents as their MP as well. He will recognise that the NHS in Wales is run by the Labour Government there. However, he is right to point out that it is important that we work across the United Kingdom by sharing information and putting patients first, and we will continue to work to try to make sure that happens.”
Speaking afterwards, James said:
“My personal experience as a GP, complaints I receive as MP and basic comparisons indicate that, despite the hard work and commitment of health staff, patients in Wales often receive inferior levels of service when compared with their friends in England.
“As I have previously stated, by introducing UK-wide health data, politicians at all levels will be held to account, practitioners and policy makers can better share best practice, and, ultimately, equal health outcomes will be promoted.”
