New patient record system goes live across Northern Ireland

A new patient record system designed to put Northern Ireland at the “forefront of health service delivery” has gone live across the region.

The encompass system is described as a clinically and operationally-led integrated care record system which allows for a single digital care record for every citizen in Northern Ireland who receives health and social care.

Thursday will see it go live at the Southern and Western Trust, following the South Eastern, Belfast and Northern trusts which went live over the last 18 months.

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt described a “significant milestone in Northern Ireland’s health and social care service”.

“Its introduction across the trusts places HSC Northern Ireland in the forefront of digital transformation of health service delivery,” he said.

“This has been a concerted effort across the whole of the health and social care system since it was first announced in 2020, and I want to sincerely thank each of those who have played a key role in getting us here.

“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity and has allowed Northern Ireland to modernise our systems and fundamentally improve how we deliver care.”

Tom Simpson, deputy chief digital information officer at the Department of Health, said: “Today is a really important day for the transformation of our health and care sector.

“This isn’t just a new IT system, it is about changing how the sector works so that our staff have the right tools to deliver the best service for all in Northern Ireland.

“Encompass streamlines how care is delivered by giving care workers quick access to the right information at the right time.

“It eliminates heavy paper records, reduces repeat tests and helps hospital-based pharmacists manage medicines more safely.

“It also provides better quality data to help improve services for the future and achieve better outcomes.”