Terms of reference

Purpose

The purpose of the Welsh Technical Standards Board (WTSB) is to support the creation and maintenance of a catalogue of standards and requirements to enable integration and interoperability across all health and care systems in a consistent and secure manner, and to support local innovation and the use of third party delivery partners.

The scope of this Board covers:

  • Interoperability Standards
  • Integration standards
  • Software development standards
  • Infrastructure standards
  • Cyber security standards

Responsibilities:

The WTSB is responsible for the following (in line with its agreed scope):

  • the identification, assessment and setting of principles and standards and for assuring the application of agreed principles and standards across the NHS Wales architecture. This will take in to account integration between health and social care and also the need to share information with health and care organisations outside of the UK.

  • The ongoing maintenance of the catalogue of standards, including:

    • establishing a road map to support the implementation of agreed standards, including how each standard should be implemented and used
    • periodically assessing agreed standards to ensure they remain relevant and appropriate
    • establishing a road map to support the decommissioning of standards
    • identifying opportunities locally, regionally and nationally to adopt standards providing quick wins/early benefits, case studies and learning to inform the road map.
    • embedding an interoperability framework within NHS procurement at a local and national level to ensure that procurements are appropriately scored as to their level of interoperability.

Governance

The WTSB reports to the NHS Wales Informatics Management Board (NIMB).

The WTSB may decide to establish temporary working groups to take forward specific packages of work. These groups may be jointly established by WTSB and the Wales Information Standards Board (WISB).

Membership

Group members will be required to:

  • Attend all main Board meetings where possible.
  • Review and comment on papers submitted to the Board for approval.
  • Undertake off-line/email reviews and discussions, as and when required, in order to facilitate prompt decision making.
  • Submit agenda items for consideration.

To ensure alignment between the WTSB and the Wales Information Standards Board (WISB) the chair from WISB may attend WTSB meetings from time to time, and vice versa.

Current membership

  • Gary Bullock, Director of Application Development and Support , NHS Wales Informatics Services (NWIS)
  • Mark Coleman, Welsh Government
  • James Chess, Chief Medical Information Officer, Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board
  • Phil Clee Information Technology, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
  • Lee Coates, Enterprise architect, Cardiff County Council
  • Tom Crick, Professor of Computer Science & Public Policy, Swansea University
  • Mark Frayne, Lead Applications Architect, NHS Wales Informatics Service
  • Ian John, Neath Port Talbot County Council
  • Matt John, Assistant Director of Informatics, Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board
  • Rob Jones (Deputy Chair) Head of Applications Design, NHS Wales Informatics Service
  • Andrew Nelson Assistant Director of Informatics, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
  • Matthew Perrott Strategic Contracts Manager, NHS Wales Informatics Services
  • John Peters, Consultant Endocrinologist on behalf of Welsh Information Standards Board
  • Mark Wardle (Chair) Consultant Neurologist, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
  • Ann Wrightson, Head of Information Architecture, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board
  • Rebecca Cook, Head of Information Standards, NWIS on behalf of Welsh Information Standards Board

Past members

  • Liz Cook, 2018-2019 Head of Digital Development, Welsh Government
  • Christopher Lloyd, ICT Transition and Applications Manager, Customer and Digital Services, Cardiff County Council

Where a member is unable to attend, a substitute should attend Board meetings in their place. Substitutes must be at the same level as the person they are substituting for and empowered to take decisions on their behalf.

Others, such as subject matter experts, may be invited to attend meetings where attendance will aid discussions on specific agenda items.

Frequency and format of meetings

  • The Board will meet monthly, with meeting dates agreed at least three months in advance.

  • Meetings will be held at Welsh Government offices, Cardiff, with videoconferencing provided where required.

  • Secretariat for the Group will be provided by Digital Health and Care, Welsh Government.

  • The deadline for receipt of agenda items and related papers by the Secretariat is ten working days prior to the meeting. In exceptional circumstances only, the Chair may agree to papers being submitted within a shorter time period.

  • The Secretariat will circulate the agenda and papers seven working days prior to the meeting.

  • Draft minutes will be circulated within ten working days of the meeting for comment, and will provide a clear record of decisions reached and actions agreed.

Quorum

The meeting quorum is as follows:

  • When at least 50% of members in attendance, including either the Chair or Deputy Chair

Escalation

Issues, risks and decisions will be escalated to NIMB as appropriate.

In addition, the WTSB may decide to refer issues, risks, actions and decisions to WISB, where appropriate.