Building Wales' digital health future together: National Target Architecture

The National Target Architecture defines how digital systems across health and care in Wales connect and support services securely and effectively, delivered through national partnerships with a phased ten year implementation. It sets out a secure, connected, and person‑centred digital ecosystem.

We’re now nine months into the project, and in October 2025 it delivered two major reports. The Current State Report - a detailed look at where NHS Wales is today, in terms of its national systems and architecture.  And the Initial Target State Report which outlines what a future, more connected and efficient digital landscape could look like. The reports were developed with support from external partners, Channel 3 and Aire Logic, who brought specialist expertise to the early stages of the project.

The second phase of the project is now well underway and will run until the end of March 2026. It focuses on two key areas; validating the Target State Report, and developing a Strategic Investment Plan (SIP), outlining what’s needed to deliver the Target Architecture. Channel 3 continues to support this work.

Strong engagement has been central to the project’s success so far. Over the past nine months, the team have established a fortnightly Architecture Community of Practice. It brings together a diverse architecture community across NHS Wales to collaborate, align, and create a shared vision.  Other activities  included working groups, structured playback sessions, task and finish groups (facilitated by DHCW), and interview sessions (supported by Channel 3) with membership from across NHS Wales. The conversations have given valuable insight into organisational priorities, funding positions, and programme portfolios, and the intelligence is helping shape both the Target State Report and the Strategic Investment Plan.

Over the lifecycle of the project it aims to:  Establish strong governance and oversight; Assess the current national architecture and explore future options; Develop architecture roadmaps to guide long‑term planning; Engage widely across NHS Wales to gather insight and collaboratively design; and Produce an investment proposal aligned to future architecture needs.