Trust Marks one year since launch of digital health record system

The Southern Trust has marked one year since going live with encompass, Northern Ireland's digital health and social care record system.

The completion of the rollout on 8 May 2025 to all trusts created a single integrated digital care record system across the region, fundamentally changing how patient information is recorded, accessed and shared.

Over the past year, encompass has continued to be embedded across Southern Trust services. Its My Care portal has given patients greater visibility of their appointments, communications and parts of their health record, encouraging them to take a more active role in managing their own care.

For staff, the system has improved how information is shared across multidisciplinary teams, with real-time access to accurate data supporting better care co-ordination, reducing duplication and enabling faster clinical decision-making. The move away from multiple legacy systems and paper-based processes to a single digital record has also freed up more time for direct care.

Trust teams have highlighted a number of practical benefits over the past year, including digital prescribing which saves time, improves accuracy and alerts patients when medications are ready. Support staff can now see bed availability to help improve patient flow throughout hospital, and the system has also assisted with managing capacity and attendances within day care services.

Interim Programme Director of encompass for the Southern Trust, Siobhan Hanna, said: "We are extremely proud to have contributed to one of the most significant digital health and social care transformations of our time with the encompass go-live."

She added: "The implementation of encompass demonstrated a huge collective organisational effort and shared commitment, from frontline clinical and social care professionals to operational, digital and administrative colleagues."

Hanna continued: "One year on, encompass is really helping to reshape how health and social care is delivered in the Southern Trust, creating a more connected, efficient, and patient-centred system as part of everyday care. Our Trust Vision and Strategy recognises the importance of broadening the use of digital technology to improve patient care. We remain committed to continually maximising the benefits of encompass and using digital innovation to further enhance services and improve the experience of care for the population that we serve."