Guides & Documentation

Comprehensive guides to help you navigate, contribute to, and make the most of the NHS Wales Solutions Exchange.

Information and Guidance

Welcome to the NHS Wales Solutions Exchange! This guide will help you navigate and make the most of our platform.

What is the Solutions Exchange?

The Solutions Exchange is a central hub for discovering and sharing innovative healthcare solutions developed across NHS Wales organizations. It showcases open-source projects, tools, and collaborative initiatives that are improving patient care and operational efficiency across Wales.

How to Browse Solutions
  • Use the Browse Solutions page to explore all available projects
  • Filter by organization to see solutions from specific NHS Wales bodies
  • Filter by programming language to find projects using your preferred technology
  • Use topic tags to discover solutions in specific healthcare domains
  • Use the search function to find specific solutions by name or description
  • Sort by update date, stars, or name to find what you need quickly
Understanding Solution Information

Each solution card displays:

  • Name and Description: What the solution does
  • Organization: Which NHS Wales body developed it
  • Programming Language: Technical stack used
  • Status: Public (open source) or Internal (NHS Wales only)
  • Topics: Healthcare domains and technology categories
  • Community Metrics: Stars and forks from GitHub
  • Last Updated: How recently the project was maintained

Share your innovative healthcare solutions with the NHS Wales community and help others benefit from your work.

Step 1: Prepare Your Repository
  • Create a Clear README.md: Explain what your solution does, how to install it, and how to use it
  • Add Relevant Topic Tags: Help others discover your solution with appropriate healthcare and technology tags
  • Include Documentation: Provide installation instructions, API documentation, and user guides
  • Add a License File: Clarify usage rights (MIT, Apache 2.0, or GPL are common choices)
  • Include Screenshots/Demos: Show your solution in action when possible
Step 2: Submit Your Solution

To get your solution included in the Solutions Exchange:

  1. Ensure your repository is hosted on GitHub under an NHS Wales organization
  2. Contact the GitHub GIG Cymru team to request inclusion
  3. Provide the repository URL and a brief description of your solution
  4. Our team will review your submission and add it to our automated collection system
Best Practices for Solutions
  • Descriptive Names: Use clear, descriptive repository names that explain the purpose
  • Comprehensive Descriptions: Write detailed descriptions explaining the healthcare problem you're solving
  • Active Maintenance: Respond to issues, update dependencies, and maintain your projects
  • Security First: Follow NHS Wales coding standards and security guidelines
  • Collaboration: Welcome contributions from other NHS Wales developers
  • Documentation: Keep documentation up-to-date as your solution evolves

Follow these guidelines to maintain high-quality, secure, and collaborative repositories within the NHS Wales ecosystem.

Repository Setup
  • Clear Repository Names: Use descriptive names that explain the project's purpose
  • Comprehensive README: Include purpose, installation, usage, and contribution guidelines
  • LICENSE File: Choose an appropriate open-source license (MIT or Apache 2.0 recommended)
  • CONTRIBUTING.md: Provide clear guidelines for how others can contribute
  • .gitignore: Exclude sensitive files and build artifacts
  • Issue Templates: Create templates for bug reports and feature requests
Security Considerations
  • No Sensitive Data: Never commit passwords, API keys, or patient data
  • Environment Variables: Use .env files for configuration (and include .env in .gitignore)
  • Security Alerts: Enable GitHub security alerts and dependency scanning
  • Information Governance: Follow NHS Wales information governance policies
  • Code Scanning: Use GitHub's built-in security scanning tools
  • Dependency Management: Keep dependencies up-to-date and review security advisories
Collaboration Workflows
  • Meaningful Commits: Write clear, descriptive commit messages
  • Feature Branches: Create separate branches for new developments
  • Pull Requests: Use pull requests for code reviews and collaboration
  • Code Reviews: Have team members review code before merging
  • Release Management: Tag releases with semantic versioning (v1.0.0, v1.1.0, etc.)
  • Continuous Integration: Set up automated testing and deployment where appropriate
Documentation Standards
  • API Documentation: Document all APIs with examples
  • User Guides: Provide step-by-step guides for end users
  • Developer Documentation: Include setup instructions for development environments
  • Changelog: Maintain a changelog documenting all significant changes
  • Architecture Documentation: Explain the technical architecture and design decisions

The Solutions Exchange uses an intelligent quality scoring system to help you identify well-maintained, reliable, and valuable healthcare solutions. This guide explains how quality scores are calculated and what they mean.

What is a Quality Score?

The quality score is a numerical value between 30-100 that reflects the overall quality and reliability of a repository. Higher scores indicate solutions that are:

  • Well-documented and described
  • Actively maintained and updated
  • Popular within the NHS Wales community
  • Built using modern technology stacks
  • Demonstrating good development practices
Quality Score Calculation

The algorithm evaluates multiple factors to calculate an objective quality score:

Base Score: 50 points

Every repository starts with a baseline score of 50 points, ensuring all solutions have a foundation score.

Community Engagement: +20 points

GitHub stars from the community indicate value and usefulness (up to 20 points based on star count).

Recent Activity: +10 points

Repositories with recent commits show active maintenance and ongoing development.

Good Documentation: +15 points

Repositories with comprehensive descriptions (over 20 characters) receive bonus points for clarity.

Technology Stack: +10 points

Repositories using identified programming languages demonstrate technical implementation.

Development Activity: +15 points

Repository size and activity indicators show substantial development effort (variable points based on size).

Quality Score Ranges

80-100

Excellent

High-quality solutions with excellent documentation, active maintenance, and community engagement. These solutions are automatically featured.

60-79

Good

Solid solutions with good practices. May be featured if they have additional qualifying factors like community stars or specific technology stacks.

30-59

Developing

Projects in development or with basic documentation. Still valuable but may benefit from additional documentation or maintenance.

Featured Solutions Criteria

Solutions are automatically marked as "Featured" when they meet specific quality thresholds:

  • Automatic Featured: Quality score ≥ 75 points
  • Community Featured: Quality score ≥ 65 points + GitHub stars from community
  • Technology Featured: Quality score ≥ 60 points + identified programming language
Improving Your Solution's Quality Score
Tips for Higher Scores
  • Write clear descriptions: Explain what your solution does and how it helps healthcare
  • Stay active: Regular commits and updates show ongoing maintenance
  • Engage the community: Encourage colleagues to star useful repositories
  • Use modern tech: Specify the programming language and technology stack
  • Document thoroughly: Include README files, API docs, and usage examples
  • Maintain regularly: Respond to issues and keep dependencies updated
Understanding the Algorithm

The quality scoring system is designed to be:

  • Objective: Based on measurable repository metrics
  • Fair: All repositories start with equal baseline scores
  • Transparent: Clear criteria that developers can influence
  • Dynamic: Scores update as repositories evolve and improve
  • Healthcare-focused: Optimized for NHS Wales development practices
Note on Scoring

Quality scores are calculated automatically when repository data is refreshed. The algorithm includes small randomization elements to account for factors that can't be measured directly from GitHub metrics. This ensures a fair distribution while maintaining objectivity in the core scoring criteria.

Get help and access additional resources for your development projects within the NHS Wales ecosystem.

Getting Help
  • GitHub GIG Cymru Wiki: Visit the official wiki for detailed documentation
  • FAQ Repository: Check the FAQ repository for common questions and answers
  • Technical Support: Contact the Digital Health and Care Wales team for technical assistance
  • Community Discussions: Join discussions in GitHub Issues and project repositories
  • Slack Channels: Connect with other NHS Wales developers in official Slack channels
Development Resources
  • Coding Standards: NHS Wales coding standards and style guides
  • Technology Stacks: Approved frameworks and libraries for NHS Wales projects
  • Security Guidelines: Information security and compliance documentation
  • Testing Frameworks: Recommended testing tools and best practices
  • Deployment Guides: Instructions for deploying applications in NHS Wales environments
  • API Standards: Guidelines for creating and documenting APIs
Training Opportunities
  • GitHub Training: Regular training sessions for NHS Wales staff on GitHub usage
  • Development Workshops: Hands-on workshops covering modern development practices
  • Healthcare Technology Seminars: Sessions on applying technology to healthcare challenges
  • Collaborative Coding Events: Hackathons and coding events focused on healthcare solutions
  • Open Source Workshops: Training on contributing to and managing open-source projects
Community Resources
  • Solution Showcases: Regular presentations of innovative NHS Wales solutions
  • Technical Meetups: Local and virtual meetups for NHS Wales developers
  • Knowledge Sharing: Internal conferences and knowledge-sharing sessions
  • Mentorship Programs: Connect with experienced developers for guidance
  • Innovation Challenges: Participate in healthcare innovation competitions

Featured Solutions

Automatically selected based on quality criteria