At Practice 2, we contribute to national NHS Wales programmes that help improve healthcare services, patient outcomes, and the quality of care provided across Wales. Information collected from GP records may be used securely and lawfully for healthcare planning, clinical audit, service improvement, and public health purposes.
GP data collection involves the secure extraction of limited information from GP clinical systems to support approved NHS Wales programmes. The information is used to understand how healthcare services are performing, identify areas for improvement, and help ensure patients receive the best possible care.
Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW) collects and processes health data on behalf of NHS Wales using strict information governance and security standards. This data helps clinicians, health boards, and Welsh Government make informed decisions about healthcare services and patient care.
National Clinical Audits are programmes that measure the quality and effectiveness of healthcare services against agreed standards. They help healthcare organisations compare performance, identify good practice, and drive improvements in patient care and safety.
The Welsh Government's NHS Wales National Clinical Audit and Outcome Review Plan sets out the audits and outcome reviews that NHS organisations are expected to participate in. Findings from these audits are used to support continuous quality improvement across NHS Wales.
Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW) is a Special Health Authority within NHS Wales. DHCW provides national digital services, manages health information systems, and supports the secure collection and analysis of healthcare data.
For certain approved national audits, DHCW may securely extract relevant information from GP systems , anonymises and provide it to authorised NHS organisations involved in delivering those audits. This process is governed by legislation, NHS Wales policies, and strict confidentiality requirements.
Patient confidentiality remains a top priority. Information used for audit and service improvement purposes is handled securely and in accordance with UK data protection legislation, NHS Wales information governance requirements, and professional confidentiality standards.
Where national audit programmes require patient data, only the information necessary for the specific purpose is used. Patients have rights regarding how their information is processed and may ask the practice for further information.
For more information about how health data is used in Wales, please visit:
Practice 2 supports the safe and appropriate use of healthcare information to help improve services, enhance patient outcomes, and contribute to the ongoing development of NHS Wales.