DHCW sets out strategy to transform health and care services by 2030

14th June 2024

The transformational role Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW) will play in the delivery of health and care services has been set out in a new long-term strategy.  

Looking ahead to the next six years, the strategy sets out a bold, ambitious view of where DHCW needs to get to. It’s available to read in HTML and PDF formats on the DHCW website.  

This is the first long-term strategy from DHCW since it was established as a Special Health Authority in 2021. The strategy has been developed over the past year in collaboration with DHCW colleagues, partners, stakeholders and the wider public.  

It reflects a belief from teams, partners and stakeholders that investing in data and digital is a route to sustainable health and care services that will benefit future generations in Wales.  

The strategy includes an updated purpose 'To make digital a force for good in health and care'. It defines how DHCW's work will deliver value and benefits to healthcare professionals, patients and the public. It also reflects the requirement to respond to the needs of partners and the public in a changing digital landscape.  

The strategy will be delivered through two full cycles of the Integrated Medium-Term Plan (IMTP), which sets out in detail the programmes of work planned over a three-year period and is refreshed annually. The DHCW annual business plan, three-year IMTP and the long-term strategy are all aligned to the same five strategic missions, linking short and medium term delivery to longer term strategic objectives.  

Twenty stretching strategic objectives aligned to the five strategic missions, set out what DHCW will achieve by 2030 through working with stakeholders and partners. The objectives build on work programmes already underway, but go beyond what can be achieved in a single three-year IMTP cycle. 

Five principles are introduced in the long-term strategy which describe how DHCW will drive decision making and new ways of working needed to achieve the ambitious strategic objectives, and to realise its vision ‘To provide world-leading digital services, empowering people to live healthier lives.’