Welsh Conservatives bring forward Senedd motion on technology in the Welsh NHS

This month we saw the UK Conservative Government bring forward the AI Safety Summit, the first ever global summit on AI. The use of innovative technologies can have huge benefits for health services across the world, yet in Labour-run Wales, this sadly isn’t the case with 27,041 languishing on two-year NHS waits, compared to just 227 in Conservative-run England.

In Labour-run Wales we continue to see horror stories from the Welsh NHS, with fax machines still being used, e-prescribing not being fully rolled out, along with the much-anticipated Welsh NHS app still not being available to all GP surgeries. It’s clear, the technological infrastructure underpinning the Welsh NHS is creating barriers to clinical practice.

In the Senedd next Wednesday (22/11/23), the Welsh Conservatives are bringing forward a Senedd motion to call on the Labour Government in Wales to urgently roll-out the NHS app and e-prescribing across the whole of the Welsh NHS, accelerate the integration of digital and AI technologies for the Welsh NHS, and begin the phasing out of outdated NHS technologies.

Commenting ahead of the debate, Welsh Conservative Shadow Health Minister, Russell George MS said:

“It’s completely inexcusable that two-year NHS waits in Wales are at 27,041, compared to just 227 in Conservative-run England. It’s clear that outdated technology in our Welsh NHS, such as the NHS app not being used in all GP surgeries, and e-prescribing not being fully rolled out in the Welsh NHS, is holding our Welsh NHS back.

“The Welsh Conservatives are committed to tackling NHS waiting lists and bringing forward positive solutions, that’s why we’re bringing forward this serious Senedd debate on technology in the Welsh NHS, and are calling on the Labour Government to take urgent action.”

Also commenting, Welsh Conservative Shadow Technology Minister, Natasha Asghar MS said:

“This month we saw the UK Conservative Government bring forward the AI Safety Summit, which looked into the importance of modern technology. Regretfully, the Welsh NHS continues to lag behind on technology and modernisation.

“The use of technology can have immense benefits in tackling NHS waiting times. It’s time the Labour Government took action and modernised our Welsh NHS.”

The motion which will be debated on Wednesday reads:

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Celebrates the advancement and use of innovative technologies by health services across the UK.

2. Welcomes the AI Safety Summit, the first ever global summit on AI, which took place on 1 and 2 November 2023.

3. Regrets that:

a) not all GP surgeries are using the Welsh NHS app;

b) e-prescribing has not been fully rolled out in the Welsh NHS; and

c) the technological infrastructure underpinning the Welsh NHS is creating barriers to clinical practice.

4. Calls on the Welsh Government to:

a) urgently roll-out the NHS app and e-prescribing across the whole of the Welsh NHS;

b) accelerate the integration of digital and AI technologies for the Welsh NHS; and

c) begin the phasing out of outdated NHS technologies.