Recently, Len Richards, then Chief Executive of the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (UHB), strongly endorsed the Cardiff and Vale HealthPathways programme and the progress made by the local team. Here with thanks to the UHB HealthPathways team, we share Len’s update.

“I’d like to give you a reminder of one of the most revolutionary projects that is currently being worked on in Cardiff and something that forms a central part of a transformation programme: Community HealthPathways.

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board has championed the use of HealthPathways in Wales for well over a year. Now the Health Board is celebrating the publication of 200 live clinical pages which consists of 179 pathways, 6 medication pages, 15 Investigation pages, together with 131 request/referral pages.

Although many people use our secondary and tertiary services, these numbers pale in comparison to the numbers of people who use our primary care services every day.

When someone visits primary care with an issue, they may be referred to specialist care in a secondary care setting. However, if this process isn’t standardised, it can create variation in the pathway that patients follow and they may be referred to hospital when they could be treated in the community, or they could end up on a waiting list to see the wrong consultant.

It’s the first system of its kind in Wales and a tool that we’re very fortunate to have here in Cardiff and the Vale. The aim of HealthPathways is to reduce variation in patients’ treatment thereby reducing delays, waiting times, and potential harm.

To date, the platform has been well used by staff across the UHB with over 150,000 views and increasing usage month on month.

The platform is constantly being maintained, updated, and added to in order that its users have access to the most up-to-date information about as many services as possible. This has especially been true during the COVID-19 pandemic with the pathways’ chief writers Dr Maria Dyban, Dr Khurram Hashmi and Dr Jane Roberts having worked exceptionally hard alongside their duties as clinicians to ensure that pathways are amended or completed and then published the following day.

It’s not just for GPs so I would encourage all members of our primary care team who make referrals for their patients to sign up. You can find HealthPathways on the Clinical Portal or just follow this link. 

HealthPathways gives clinicians instant access to care pathways and referral information to make sure that patients are offered the right care at the right time, and referred to specialists in secondary care settings only when appropriate.”

Len Richards
(Former) Chief Executive
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (UHB)

More information

If you’d like to know more about Hospital HealthPathways, or if your health jurisdiction hasn’t yet joined the HealthPathways Community please:

• See HealthPathways Global for an overview, and more information about Hospital HealthPathways
• Email info@healthpathwaysglobal.org or phone:
  • Within the United Kingdom: +44 20 3519 1964
  • Within Australia: +61 7 3067 3665
  • Within New Zealand: +64 3 595 0989

For more information about Cardiff and Vale Community HealthPathways, please contact healthpathways@wales.nhs.uk

If you have any other questions about this update, please have a chat with your lead writer.