An Impact Report has found Health Technology Wales (HTW) has achieved substantial success in developing a strategic approach to the identification, appraisal and adoption of new technologies into health and care settings.

MediWales reports Vaughan Gething, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services, said “I welcome the progress made by Health Technology Wales in its first year. They are delivering high quality, evidence-informed advice to our health boards on a range of non-medicine technologies. This is important work that will ensure our health service in Wales is at the forefront of modern technology.”

A team of fifteen people has been recruited to respond to the needs of service users and care providers. They draw on the best available evidence and collaborate with partners across health, social care and the technology sectors.

The report finds Health Technology Wales’ achievements and activity in 2018 included:

• Responding to fifty seven topic referrals from a variety of stakeholder groups, including the NHS, Welsh Government and academia
• Producing four pieces of guidance issued to NHS Wales and sixteen Topic Exploration Reports
• Establishing relationships with more than thirty national and international organisations
• Presenting at twenty external meetings and conferences
• Holding fifteen advisory committee meetings and two multi-stakeholder adoption workshops.

Dr Peter Groves, Chair of Health Technology Wales, said “I am very pleased with the progress that has been made during the first year in establishing HTW as an organisation that is able to use evidence to guide the delivery of the best innovative medical technologies to patients in NHS Wales. We are working with partners across the healthcare sector to ensure that our combined expertise is applied to prompting the adoption of technologies that have the potential to make a real difference to people’s lives. We are excited about the opportunities in the year ahead.”

Multiple standard operating procedures, an evaluation strategy, a communications strategy and a new website were also produced in 2018.