Press & Media Pack

Campaign Summary

The Campaign for Responsible Leadership in NHS Wales (CRLNW) is an independent, non-partisan campaign established in 2026 to demand accountability for systemic leadership failures at Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW) — the Special Health Authority responsible for all NHS Wales digital services. Our investigation, grounded entirely in public records, has documented a pattern of programme failure, financial waste, suppression of dissent, and institutional unaccountability spanning more than eight years. We are calling for an independent external review, transparent disclosure of all programme costs and outcomes, and structural reform of DHCW's leadership and governance. Our evidence is drawn from Senedd proceedings, Audit Wales reports, Welsh Government intervention letters, DHCW's own public accountability meetings, published annual accounts, Royal College briefings, and Employment Tribunal filings in the public record.

Key Facts

The following statements are sourced from published public records. Each is independently verifiable. Journalists are welcome to use them directly.

Nine programmes under the highest level of Welsh Government intervention simultaneously. Source: Cabinet Secretary Jeremy Miles, Welsh Government written statement, 11 March 2025. Level 3 is the highest tier on the Welsh Government escalation and oversight framework.

"We don't have an ROI on all of our investments." — Helen Thomas, CEO of DHCW, public accountability meeting, 29 January 2026.

1,100+ employees — approximately 25% workforce growth since DHCW's creation in 2021 — against an NHS Wales average of approximately 2.7% over the comparable period. Source: DHCW annual reports and accounts, 2021/22 to 2023/24.

"Patients regularly experience delays that lead to worsening health" due to digital fragmentation in NHS Wales. — Royal College of Physicians Cymru Wales and RCGP Cymru Wales, joint briefing, July 2025.

The NHS Wales App has been "mired in delay, non-delivery." — Nick Wood, Deputy Chief Executive of NHS Wales, DHCW public accountability meeting, 29 January 2026.

Asked whether NHS Wales digital systems were ready for another pandemic, the CEO replied: "No." — Helen Thomas, CEO of DHCW, Digital Health interview, January 2025.

The Senedd found DHCW's predecessor organisation was "the antithesis of open." Source: Welsh Public Accounts Committee report on NWIS, November 2018. Committee found staff were "reluctant to be critical on the record" and felt it was "getting a pre-prepared line."

At least two senior technologists were allegedly dismissed after raising concerns about delivery failures, financial waste, and patient safety risks — concerns subsequently confirmed by the Welsh Government's own Level 3 intervention. Source: Employment Tribunal filings (public record). These are allegations awaiting determination — see Legal Note below.

Timeline of Key Events

Pre-2021: The NWIS Era

• 2015: WCCIS (Welsh Community Care Information System) launched as a 12-year programme to connect health and social care records across Wales.
• November 2018: Senedd Public Accounts Committee publishes damning scrutiny of NWIS (DHCW's predecessor). Finds the organisational culture was "the antithesis of open," with staff "reluctant to be critical on the record." Only 7 of 30 projects on target. One data centre outage every nine days.
• 2019: NWIS cancels the Microtest GP clinical software contract after repeated delivery failures.

April 2021: DHCW Created

• April 2021: DHCW established as a Special Health Authority, replacing NWIS. Helen Thomas becomes CEO. Staff, systems, and leadership transfer wholesale from the predecessor organisation. Workforce approximately 960 staff.

2021-2024: Programme Failures Mount

• March 2021 and March 2023: OpenEyes misses two consecutive national rollout deadlines. Programme now running years behind its original target.
• By March 2022: Over £30 million spent on WCCIS. Only 15 of 29 target organisations live. At least two local authorities actively seeking to exit. Audit Wales concludes the vision is "still a long way from being realised."
• July 2023: Joint Senedd Committee report issues 16 formal recommendations. Finds "patients and front-line staff are not benefitting from the latest advances in healthcare data and digital technology."
• November 2023: RISP radiology contract awarded — £47.2 million (potentially £56 million with extensions).
• 2021-2023: Workforce grows approximately 25%, from roughly 960 to approximately 1,200 staff.
• 2024: Audit Wales structured assessment finds weaknesses in board prioritisation. DHCW "finds it harder to obtain good clinical engagement."
• Late 2024: At least two senior employees allegedly dismissed after raising concerns about delivery failures. Employment Tribunal claims filed.

March 2025: Welsh Government Level 3 Intervention

• 11 March 2025: Cabinet Secretary Jeremy Miles escalates DHCW to Level 3 — the highest tier on the Welsh Government intervention framework — citing "serious concerns about the organisation's ability to effectively deliver a number of major programmes." Nine programme areas placed under formal scrutiny.

July 2025: Royal College Warnings

• 15 July 2025: Ministerial written statement confirms Level 3 unchanged. No de-escalation.
• July 2025: Royal College of Physicians Cymru Wales and RCGP Cymru Wales issue joint briefing demanding urgent action. Doctors warn patients "regularly experience delays that lead to worsening health."

January 2026: Public Accountability Meeting Admissions

• 29 January 2026: DHCW public accountability meeting (live-streamed). CEO admits "We don't have an ROI on all of our investments." Deputy CEO of NHS Wales describes NHS Wales App as "mired in delay, non-delivery." Welsh Government official states workforce growth is "obviously unsustainable." Cabinet Secretary says he is "not getting a great deal of confidence" on the app's critical path.
• 12 February 2026: Cabinet Secretary writes follow-up letter confirming DHCW "remains some distance from being able to consistently quantify return on investment."

2026: Campaign Launches

• 2026: Campaign for Responsible Leadership in NHS Wales launches. Formal disclosure filed with the Senedd and other oversight bodies. This website published with full evidence base.

The Six Demands

1. Independent external review of DHCW — conducted by reviewers with no prior relationship to the organisation, its leadership, or its suppliers, with findings published in full.

2. Transparent disclosure of all programme costs and outcomes — including total expenditure on every major programme, contract values, off-payroll and consultancy costs, and measurable benefits delivered against investment.

3. Independent Freedom to Speak Up Guardian — a genuinely independent whistleblower protection function, external to DHCW management, with the power to investigate retaliation and report directly to the Senedd.

4. Board reform with genuine technical competence — an end to appointments based on networks rather than expertise, with independent verification of qualifications and mandatory inclusion of members with proven digital delivery experience.

5. Public accountability for leadership failures — those responsible for sustained programme failure, financial waste, and the suppression of legitimate concerns must face consequences proportionate to the harm caused.

6. Adoption of NHS England-standard digital service standards — Welsh digital health programmes must be assessed against the same independent service standards applied in England, with public publication of assessment results.

Programme Failure Summary

The following nine programmes were simultaneously under Level 3 Welsh Government intervention as of March 2025:

Total known committed expenditure across these programmes exceeds several hundred million pounds. The CEO was unable to demonstrate return on investment for any of them at the January 2026 public accountability meeting.

Source Documents

All factual claims on this site are sourced from published public records. Journalists can verify independently using the following:

• Senedd Public Accounts Committee report on NWIS (November 2018) — findings on organisational culture and programme delivery
• Audit Wales report on WCCIS (2022) — programme costs, adoption rates, and strategic assessment
• Audit Wales structured assessment of DHCW (2024) — governance and board effectiveness findings
• Joint Senedd Committee report (July 2023) — 16 recommendations on NHS Wales digital services
• Welsh Government written statements on DHCW escalation (March 2025, July 2025, December 2025) — Level 3 intervention and ongoing status
• Cabinet Secretary's follow-up letter to DHCW Chair (12 February 2026, published 27 February 2026, ref: DC/JMHSC/00046/26)
• DHCW public accountability meeting (29 January 2026, live-streamed) — CEO and board admissions on the public record
• Royal College of Physicians Cymru Wales and RCGP Cymru Wales joint briefing (July 2025) — clinical impact warnings
• Helen Thomas interview, Digital Health (January 2025) — pandemic readiness and EPS adoption admissions
• DHCW annual reports and accounts (2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24) — workforce, expenditure, and remuneration data
• Employment Tribunal filings (public record) — whistleblower dismissal allegations

We hold copies of all source documents and can provide them to journalists on request.

Contact

Email: carenhs@carenhs.org (subject line: "Press")

We respond to all media enquiries within 24 hours.

We are available for:

• Background briefings (not for attribution)
• On-record statements (for publication)
• Access to documented evidence (source documents, transcripts, data)

Legal Note

This campaign distinguishes clearly between proven facts derived from published public records and allegations that are awaiting determination — specifically, claims made in Employment Tribunal proceedings that have not yet been heard or adjudicated. Where we refer to allegations, they are clearly marked as such.

All factual claims on this site are sourced from published records including Senedd proceedings, Audit Wales reports, Welsh Government written statements, DHCW's own published accounts and public meetings, Royal College briefings, and other documents in the public domain.

We offer a right of reply to any individual or organisation discussed on this site. Corrections supported by evidence will be published promptly.