Background: The use of video consulting (VC) in Wales, United Kingdom (UK) has expanded rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Traditionally, VC has been the subject of small-scale projects and evaluations. In response to the pandemic emergency, there was an opportunity to roll out and evaluate VC on a larger and more representative scale, across a wider range of National Health Service (NHS) specialities. Aims: This paper presents an overview of a dataset captured by the ‘The NHS Wales VC Service’. The purpose of this study was to capture perspectives of healthcare professionals only (including clinicians, administration and management) on the use of VC and explore lessons learnt from the national implementation process. Methodology: Using an online, mixed methods retrospective survey capturing descriptive and narrative data. Results: A total of 1256 NHS healthcare professionals shared their VC experience. Overall, responses were positive, and healthcare professionals expressed optimistic views regarding the use, value and benefit of VC, even when faced with challenges on occasions. Conclusions: A lesson learnt, is that difference occurs in innovation, even in a small country like Wales, yet it is not necessarily a negative outcome, but rather, respecting and incorporating difference, can improve long-term sustainability.

Social distancing laws during the first year of the pandemic, and its unprecedented changes to the National Health Service (NHS) forced a large majority of services, especially mental health teams to deliver patient care remotely. For many, this approach was adopted out of necessity, rather than choice, thus presenting a true ‘testing ground’ for remote healthcare and a robust evaluation on a national and representative level.ObjectiveTo extract and analyse mental health specific data from a national dataset for 1 year (March 2020–March 2021).DesignA mixed-methods study using surveys and interviews.SettingIn NHS mental health services in Wales, UK.ParticipantsWith NHS patients and clinicians across child and adolescent, adult and older adult mental health services.Outcome measuresMixed methods data captured measures on use, value, benefits and challenges of video consulting (VC).ResultsA total of 3561 participants provided mental health specific data. These data and its findings demonstrate that remote mental health service delivery, via the method of VC is highly satisfactory, well-accepted and clinically suitable for many patients, and provides a range of benefits to NHS patients and clinicians. Interestingly, clinicians working from ‘home’ rated VC more positively compared with those at their ‘clinical base’.ConclusionsPost 1-year adoption, remote mental health services in Wales UK have demonstrated that VC is possible from both a technical and behavioural standpoint. Moving forward, we suggest clinical leaders and government support to sustain this approach ‘by default’ as an option for NHS appointments.

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The use of video consulting (VC) in the UK has expanded rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Technology Enabled Care (TEC) Cymru, the Welsh Government and Local Health boards began implementing the National Health Service (NHS) Wales VC Service in March 2020. This has been robustly evaluated on a large-scale All-Wales basis, across a wide range of NHS Wales specialities.AimsTo understand the early use of VC in Wales from the perspective of NHS professionals using it. NHS professionals were approached by TEC Cymru to provide early data.MethodsUsing an observational study design with descriptive methods including a cross-sectional survey, TEC Cymru captured data on the use, benefits and challenges of VC from NHS professionals in Wales during August and September 2020. This evidence is based on the rapid adoption of VC in Wales, which mirrors that of other nations.ResultsA total of 1256 NHS professionals shared their VC experience. Overall, responses were positive, and professionals expressed optimistic views regarding the use and benefit of VC, even when faced with challenges on occasions.ConclusionsThis study provides evidence of general positivity, acceptance and the success of the VC service in Wales. Future research studies will now be able to explore and evaluate the implementation methods used within this study, and investigate their effectiveness in being able to achieve better outcomes through VC.

IntroductionThe use of video consulting (VC) in Wales UK has expanded rapidly. Previous VC evidence has been the subject of small-scale projects and evaluations. Technology Enabled Care Cymru is an all-Wales digital service and rolls out digital interventions and evaluates on large scales, thus capturing representative data sets across Wales, and therefore a wide range of National Health Service (NHS) specialties.ObjectiveTo extract and analyse narrative feedback from patients and clinicians using the NHS Wales VC Service for 6 months (September 2020 to March 2021).DesignA coding reliability approach of a cross-sectional study was conducted.SettingFrom all health boards across Wales.ParticipantsNHS patients and clinicians across primary, secondary and community care settings in Wales.ResultsData were captured on benefits, challenges and sustainability of VC. A coding reliability analysis was used with six domain summaries materialising to include: ‘The Ease of VC’; ‘The Personal Touches’; ‘The Benefits of VC’; ‘The Challenges of VC’; ‘Technical Quality’; and ‘Recommendations & Future Use’. An additional 17 subdomains are included. Direct quotations from patients and clinicians are provided for context.ConclusionsA total of 22 978 participants were included. These data help demonstrate that NHS remote service delivery, via the method of VC, can be highly satisfactory, well accepted and clinically suitable yielding many benefits. Despite this, the data are not without its challenges surrounding engagement and suitability for VC. The NHS Wales VC Service rolled out and evaluated at scale and demonstrates that VC has potential for long-term sustainability. For the future, use a ‘blended approach’ for NHS appointments that are clinically judged and centred on patient choice.