In 2020 Cardiff and Vale University Health Board was funded to lead a £4.8million five-year programme for eyecare. This included the deployment of an electronic patient record for ophthalmology services, working alongside other health boards. The electronic patient record was intended to be a nationally deployed product for Wales, with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board included within its scope.
Through raising concerns with Digital Health and Care Wales, and Eluned Morgan MS, Minister for Health and Social Services, Janet Finch-Saunders MS has unearthed that :
- Whilst ophthalmology department across North Wales were granted OpenEyes (OE) before the Covid pandemic, the deployment remains delayed;
- £4.02million of the £4.8million budget has been used by Cardiff and Vale University Health Board on the development of OE;
- Since June 2023 the remaining funding has been transferred to Digital Health and Care Wales where the programme has been undergoing a rebaseline review;
- Based on the information provided showing the spend against the contract, it is extremely doubtful that this will be sufficient to implement the Electronic Patient Record solution for all the remaining Health Boards that do not yet have the system;
- As of June 2023 five Health Boards in Wales had not yet implemented the system.
Commenting on the multi-million pound project, Janet said:
“The purpose of the £4.8million investment by the Welsh Government in 2020 was to digitise the referral process from primary care to secondary care ophthalmology settings, as well as introduce an Electronic Patient Record across primary and secondary care settings within 5 years. The project is failing.
“Through raising concerns about the impact of the scheme in North Wales, I have unearthed that the scheme is not on track to achieve its initial targets.
“What makes this situation even worse is the fact that since 2020, and the establishment of
milestones and targets aligned with funding, the programme has been monitored by
Welsh Government through a quarterly reporting process. Cleary, that process has failed because the scheme is not on track.
“I thank those who brought this case to my attention, which has highlighted a costly delay to much needed modernisation across the Welsh NHS, including here in North Wales.”
ENDS
Yn 2020 cafodd Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Caerdydd a'r Fro ei ariannu i arwain rhaglen bum mlynedd gwerth £4.8 miliwn ar gyfer gofal llygaid. Roedd hyn yn cynnwys defnyddio cofnod electronig am gleifion ar gyfer gwasanaethau offthalmoleg, gan weithio ochr yn ochr â byrddau iechyd eraill. Y bwriad oedd cyflwyno a defnyddio'r cofnod electronig am gleifion dros Gymru benbaladr, gyda Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr wedi'i gynnwys o fewn ei gwmpas.
Wrth godi pryderon gydag Iechyd a Gofal Digidol Cymru, ac Eluned Morgan AS, y Gweinidog Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol, mae Janet Finch-Saunders AS wedi datgelu'r canlynol:
- Er bod adran offthalmoleg ledled y Gogledd wedi cael rhaglen OpenEyes (OE) cyn pandemig Covid, mae’r oedi’n parhau cyn ei ddefnyddio;
- mae £4.02 miliwn o'r gyllideb o £4.8 miliwn wedi cael ei ddefnyddio gan Fwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Caerdydd a'r Fro ar ddatblygu OE;
- Ers mis Mehefin 2023 mae'r cyllid sy'n weddill wedi'i drosglwyddo i Iechyd a Gofal Digidol Cymru lle mae'r rhaglen wedi bod yn destun adolygiad gwaelodlin arall;
- Yn seiliedig ar y wybodaeth a ddarperir sy'n dangos y gwariant yn erbyn y contract, mae'n amheus iawn y bydd hyn yn ddigon i weithredu'r ateb Cofnod Electronig am Gleifion ar gyfer yr holl Fyrddau Iechyd sydd heb gael y system eto;
- Erbyn mis Mehefin 2023, nid oedd pum Bwrdd Iechyd yng Nghymru yn gweithredu'r system eto.
Wrth sôn am y prosiect gwerth miliynau o bunnoedd, dywedodd Janet:
“Pwrpas y buddsoddiad o £4.8 miliwn gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn 2020 oedd digido'r broses atgyfeiriadau o leoliadau offthalmoleg gofal sylfaenol i ofal eilaidd, yn ogystal â chyflwyno Cofnod Electronig am Gleifion ar draws lleoliadau gofal sylfaenol ac eilaidd o fewn 5 mlynedd. Mae'r prosiect yn methu.
“Drwy godi pryderon am effaith y cynllun yma yn y Gogledd, rwyf wedi darganfod nad yw'r cynllun ar y trywydd iawn i gyrraedd ei dargedau cychwynnol.
“Beth sy'n waeth yw'r ffaith fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi bod yn monitro'r rhaglen trwy broses adrodd chwarterol, byth ers y flwyddyn 2020 ar sail cerrig milltir a thargedau sy'n cyd-fynd â chyllid. Mae'n amlwg bod y broses honno wedi methu oherwydd nid yw'r cynllun ar y trywydd iawn.
“Diolch i'r rhai sydd wedi tynnu fy sylw at hyn – achos sy'n pwysleisio'r oedi costus i foderneiddio sydd ei angen ar fyrder ar draws GIG Cymru, gan gynnwys yma yn y Gogledd."
DIWEDD
