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On 8 May 2025, the Southern and Western Health and Social Care Trusts will make history as the final two Trusts in Northern Ireland to Go-Live with encompass, a cutting-edge digital health and care system. This marks the completion of a region-wide digital transformation, ensuring that every Northern Ireland citizen has a personal digital health and social care record.
Since November 2023, encompass has been gradually implemented across Northern Ireland’s Trusts. The programme, both clinically and operationally led, replaces outdated paper records with real-time digital information accessible to all care providers.
The Southern and Western Trusts have carefully observed earlier rollouts in the South Eastern Trust (9 November 2023) and Belfast Trust (6 June 2024), while Northern Trust is set to Go-Live on 7 November 2024. Both Trusts are leveraging these experiences to ensure a smooth transition for staff and service users.
The system’s rollout has already demonstrated its potential to improve health and social care services throughout Northern Ireland.
Dr Maria O’Kane, Chief Executive of the Southern Trust, highlighted encompass’ ability to improve patient care, stating, “encompass will enhance the quality of patient and service user information across the Health and Social Care service.”
Western Trust Chief Executive Neil Guckian described the rollout as transformative, adding, “This is a once-in-a-generation moment for digital transformation in healthcare, empowering staff to make informed decisions by giving them instant access to patient records.”
Both Trusts are enthusiastic about joining Northern Ireland’s digital healthcare future, which aims to revolutionise care delivery by providing real-time, up-to-date information for more effective, patient-centred decisions.
As the final Trusts to implement encompass, the Southern and Western Trusts will complete this crucial digital transition, placing Northern Ireland at the forefront of healthcare innovation.
Dr Dermot Hughes, Senior Responsible Owner for encompass, noted the significance of this milestone: “The implementation of encompass in May 2025 represents the final phase of a process ensuring all patients and clients in Northern Ireland will receive care on one electronic platform. Lessons from earlier implementations will help ensure a seamless and safe Go-Live.”
He added, “The progress so far has been the result of immense collaboration across HSCNI, involving nearly all Trust staff. I extend heartfelt thanks to everyone involved for their dedication.”
The May 2025 milestone will not only close the implementation phase but will also introduce a new era of enhanced, accessible, and patient-centred care across Northern Ireland.
