I am about 25% as productive as I might be in terms of delivering healthcare to children, because IT and support systems are so primitive
As RCPCH Wales Health Board Integration lead, I hear frustrations like this all too often. They reflect the daily reality for many paediatricians and other child health professionals trying to do the right thing for their patients but being held back by outdated, fragmented systems.
That’s why I’m proud to support our manifesto for the 2026 Senedd election, Putting Children First: Prioritising Wales’s Future. It is a clear, urgent call for the next Welsh Government to prioritise children’s health. Among its four core themes, one in particular stands out to me as a real game-changer - data and digital innovation.
Why digital matters for children's health
I’m sure you do not need me to tell you that, right now, we’re trying to deliver 21st Century care using 20th Century systems. Child health records remain scattered across different platforms. Some programmes, like the Healthy Child Wales Programme, are still using paper-based records. Information doesn’t flow easily between primary care, hospitals, community services, and social care. And too often, families have to repeat their story again and again with their GP, in Emergency Departments (EDs), or during follow-ups because our systems aren’t joined up. Take children’s mental health services for example - children and young people with neurodevelopmental or mental health needs are often supported by CAMHS or other mental health teams who maintain separate records that are not always accessible to other teams. This can create further barriers to coordinated, holistic care.
This is not just a technical IT issue, it’s also a clinical one. It means missed opportunities to intervene early, it increases the risk of important information being missed, and it creates inefficiencies. And perhaps most importantly of all, poor IT and digital infrastructure causes unnecessary stress for both families and health professionals, who are trying to do their jobs.
When we asked RCPCH members in Wales last year about the key issues they faced, digital infrastructure came through loud and clear as a top concern. Child health teams want systems that work for them, that save time, support clinical judgment, and help deliver safer, coordinated care.
Our data and digital asks of the next Welsh Government
To make real progress, we are calling on the political parties hoping to form the next Welsh Government to take forward three key actions around data and digital transformation:
- Improve the quality, accessibility and transparency of child health data to help tackle inequalities and track outcomes more effectively. A children’s information standard would make it clear when and how child health, care and education services can share information to improve children’s health and identify harm.
- Invest in digital infrastructure across health and care services, so that children benefit from modern, connected systems. Services that are still using paper-based records should be prioritised.
- Enable seamless record-sharing not only across the NHS but also between health, education and social care. A foundational step we urgently need is the consistent use of the NHS number as a Single Unique Identifier (SUI) across health and wider services. This would dramatically improve data quality, support better record-matching, and enable information to follow an individual wherever they access services.
Integration in practice
As Health Board Integration lead for RCPCH Wales, I see both gaps and opportunities. Where systems talk to each other, children and their families get quicker answers, services work more efficiently, and children’s needs are met sooner. Where they don’t, delays multiply and valuable time is spent chasing information and asking questions children and their families have been asked time and time again.
Digital transformation is therefore not a luxury. It’s a prerequisite for integrated, child-centred care.
A future within reach
Imagine a Wales where every child’s health record is easily and securely accessible to the right professionals at the right time – from GPs to paediatricians, health visitors to social workers, mental health teams and education professionals. A Wales where information can be shared across health, education, and social care systems so that every service that interacts with a child understands their story and can respond to their needs in a joined-up way. A Wales where real-time data guides decision-making, flags early signs of illness or deterioration, and identifies gaps in vaccinations and other important public health actions. This vision is not out of reach – it’s entirely achievable if there is the political will, sustained investment, and collaborative leadership across the system to realise it.
Digital transformation isn’t just about efficiency; it’s about equity. Better data collection helps us to spot trends, tackle health inequalities, and allocate resources where they’re needed most. It supports a more preventative, personalised model of care - children and young people across Wales deserve nothing less.
How you can help
RCPCH Wales is working hard to influence party manifestos ahead of the Senedd election. But our case is strongest when it’s backed by frontline voices. We need you to stand with us to share your insights, raise your voice, and speak with one message: children’s health must not be left behind in the technological revolution. Whether it’s contributing to policy development, championing innovation in your own service, or engaging with local politicians and decision-makers about these issues, your voice matters.
Let’s do everything we can to ensure that the next Welsh Government puts children first by placing child health at the very heart of Wales’s digital and data transformation.