Data standards notice of change for planned care referrals (WHC/2025/034)

Status:

Compliance – must be complied with by the recipient.

Category:

Performance / delivery.

Title:

Implementation of the planned care referrals DSCN (Data Standard Change Notifications) (DSCN 2024/11)

Date of expiry / review:

No expiry date.

Action by:

All NHS health boards and trusts.

Required by:

Immediate.

Sender:

Lesley Law Head of Planned Care NHS Delivery and Performance Health Social Care Early Years Group Welsh Government.

Welsh Government contacts:

Lesley Law, Lesley.Law@gov.wales

Enclosures:

• Letter from Lesley Law.
• Planned Care Referrals DSCN (DSCN 2024 / 11).

Chief Executives NHS health boards and trusts
Chief Executive NHS DHCW

25 September 2025

Dear colleagues,

This Welsh health circular is being published to provide all health boards and trusts with notice of the requirement to comply with the following published Data Standard Change Notifications (DSCNs) which forms phase 1 of planned care/outpatients minimum dataset modernisation:

• planned care referrals

Rationale for developing the new DSCNs

The existing outpatient and outpatient referral data sets were introduced in 1999 and 2008 respectively. These are no longer fit for purpose and required redevelopment to reflect the new ways of delivering planned care in line with ministerial commitments and:

• our programme for transforming and modernising planned care and reducing waiting lists in Wales April 2022
• The role of outpatients in transforming planned care in Wales: A three-year strategy and action plan 2023 to 2026
• Planned care waiting times guidance: April 2025
• other new policy such as the 3Ps Waiting Well Policy Promote, prevent and prepare for planned care published in August 2023

In recent years there has also been an increase in the collection of aggregate data through electronic proforma directly from health boards or trusts to Welsh Government. These new datasets will dispense with the need for aggregate proformas and provide a more sustainable and coherent solution to collecting quality patient-level planned care information to support service planning, delivery and improvement in line with the duty of quality published in 2023 as part of the Health and Social Care (Quality and Engagement) (Wales) Act 2020.

Approach to developing the datasets

A phased approach has been adopted in approaching this work to allow for manageable and effective monthly submissions:

• Phase 1: planned care referrals
• Phase 2: planned care outpatient activity
• Phase 3: planned care outpatient waiting list: news
• Phase 4: planned care outpatient waiting list: follow ups

Phase 1: planned care referrals DSCN (DSCN 2024 / 11)

The planned care referrals DSCN was published on 9 May 2024 following approval by the Welsh Informatics Standards Board. This dataset allows for the adaptation of the existing outpatient referrals data set (DSCN 2018/11 AMD) and encompasses all necessary agreed data requirements relating to referrals. The initial implementation date was identified as October 2024, however, the necessary system changes to enable implementation of this DSCN were not completed in time and the revised implementation date was identified as April 2025. Full implementation by all health boards and trusts remains outstanding and needs to be addressed as a matter of priority.

To ensure that health boards commence reporting in line with this DSCN by April 2026, the following is expected:

All health boards and trusts:

• update local processes and systems to comply with the information specification outlined in the DSCNs
• collaborate with the DHCW Data Acquisition Team to agree and establish processes for data submission in preparation for collection

Digital Health and Care Wales:

• ensure that all national systems have been updated to comply with the standard set out in the information specification within this DSCN
• that the Data Acquisition Team coordinate with each health board individually to discuss the details of data submission and offer any necessary support

All members of the health boards and trusts’ executive teams have a responsibility for the submission of accurate and timely reporting in line with all DSCNs. A Welsh health circular will be published providing notice of our intent to publish DSCNs for phases 2 to 4 and the actions required by all health boards and trusts to implement the changes. Further instruction and guidance will be issued to support health boards to comply with the requirements set out in the DSCN. This will include submission dates and processes.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Yours sincerely,

Lesley Law
Head of Planned Care
Delivery and Performance
Health and Social Services Group
Welsh Government

CC (Carbon Copy):

• Judith Paget, Director General of Health and Social Services and Chief Executive NHS Wales, Welsh Government
• Nick Wood, Deputy Chief Executive NHS Wales, Welsh Government
• Jeremy Griffiths, Director of Operations, Welsh Government
• Andrew Sallows, National Director - Planned Care, NHS Performance and Improvement
• Philip Barry, Director of Operational Improvement, NHS Performance and Improvement
• Liz Davies, Planned Care Policy Lead, NHS Performance and Improvement
• Helen Roberts, NHS Wales Performance, Welsh Government
• Alex Percival, Head of Planned Care Programmes, Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW)

Yr Grŵp Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol
Health, Social Care and Early Years Group

NHS Wales Chief Executive Officers
Chief Executive, NHS DHCW
Ein Cyf/Our Reference: WHC/2025/034
25 September 2025

Dear colleague

The existing outpatient and referrals dataset was introduced in 1999 and 2008 respectively and no longer reflects the new and modernised way planned care is delivered in Wales. A revised and updated data set to capture transformation was published in May 2024 with an initial implementation date of October 2024. However, the necessary system changes to enable implementation of this DSCN were not completed in time and the revised implementation date was identified as April 2025. Full implementation by all health boards and trusts remains outstanding and needs to be addressed as a matter of priority.

I would ask that all health boards ensure that the necessary updates are carried out to their patient administration and information management systems to fully comply with the DSCN and timelines identified.

Yours sincerely

Lesley Law
Head of Planned Care Policy
Health, Social Care and Early Years
Welsh Government

CC:

• Judith Paget, Director General of Health and Social Services and Chief Executive NHS Wales, Welsh Government
• Nick Wood, Deputy Chief Executive NHS Wales, Welsh Government
• Jeremy Griffiths, Director of Operations, Welsh Government
• Andrew Sallows, National Director - Planned Care, NHS Performance and Improvement
• Philip Barry, Director of Operational Improvement, NHS Performance and Improvement
• Liz Davies, Planned Care Policy Lead, NHS Performance and Improvement
• Helen Roberts, NHS Wales Performance, Welsh Government
• Alex Percival, Head of Planned Care Programmes, DHCW