National Reporting and Learning System

15 June 2022

Dear

Reference:  ATISN 16355 – National Reporting and Learning System (NRLS)

Thank you for your information request received on 22 May 2022.  A response to your information request is provided below:

1. Explain who collects collates and analyses the National Reporting and Learning System (NRLS) figures.

The National Reporting and Learning System was de-commissioned in Wales on 31 March 2022. The successor system is the Once for Wales Concerns Management System (Datix Cymru). Welsh Government provides HIW with a weekly extract from the Once for Wales system. This shows details of Patient Safety Incidents across Wales. Patient Safety Incidents are any unintended or unexpected incidents which could have or did lead to harm for a patient whilst receiving NHS care.

Patient Safety Incidents are analysed weekly by HIW and updates are provided at internal intelligence meetings. Incident details and analysis of trends and themes are copied weekly to HIW Relationship Managers, who are linked to each of the Health Boards and NHS Trusts in Wales. This information is one strand of intelligence that is reviewed by Relationship Managers, to help identify issues and risks within the Health Boards and Trusts.

2. How these figures supposed to feed into the escalation “Services requiring significant improvement” Process  https://hiw.org.uk/services-requiring-significant-improvement.

The services requiring significant improvement process may be triggered by significant singular service failures, or cumulative or systemic concerns regarding a service or setting. These concerns may arise from intelligence sources, or from review and inspection activity. Patient Safety Incidents are one strand (across a range of intelligence), which may inform a service requiring significant improvement escalation triage meeting. We would consider this information and use it to determine the most appropriate course of action.

HIW operates within the Welsh Government’s framework for handling Freedom of Information requests. If you are dissatisfied with the Welsh Government’s handling of your request, you can ask for an internal review within 40 working days of the date of this response. Requests for an internal review should be addressed to the Welsh Government’s Freedom of Information Officer at:

Information Rights Unit, 
Welsh Government,
Cathays Park, 
Cardiff, 
CF10 3NQ 

or Email: Freedomofinformation@gov.wales

Please remember to quote the ATISN reference number above.   

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner.  The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:  Information Commissioner’s Office,

Wycliffe House, 
Water Lane, 
Wilmslow, 
Cheshire, 
SK9 5AF.

However, please note that the Commissioner will not normally investigate a complaint until it has been through our own internal review process.

Yours sincerely