One week after the South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust launched encompass, the major new Regional digital patient record system, the Department of Health’s Chief Nursing Officer, Maria McIlgorm visited the Ulster Hospital to see the new system in action.
During the visit, the Chief Nursing Officer toured wards, talked to staff and saw for herself how encompass operates and how it will revolutionise healthcare for both patients and staff.
Staff showed the Chief Nursing Officer how the system can centralise patient records, improve communication among healthcare providers and empower staff with real-time access to critical health information.
Speaking during her visit to the Ulster Hospital, Maria said, “I witnessed first-hand the benefits that encompass is providing nurses, midwives and the wider team in the South Eastern Trust. Over the next two years, every Trust in Northern Ireland will implement this digital patient record innovation.
“Staff are already using real-time information to inform decision-making and improve the safety and quality of patient care, in a way that simply has not been possible before.
“They are adapting well to this historic transformation and I was delighted to hear from students, registrants and nursing and midwifery leaders about the positive impact that encompass is having now and the excitement about the future. The art of the possible for a digital future is here, today.
“Well done and thank you everyone. You should be very proud of all that you have achieved in such a short period of time.”
The Trust’s Executive Director of Nursing and Midwifery, David Robinson added, “I was delighted to have the opportunity to show the Chief Nursing Officer how encompass is actually working in our Trust.
“Just a week after launching this digital patient record system, I am so proud to see that our staff are adapting very well and are excited to witness the benefits this digital innovation is bringing to both staff and patients, who are at the heart of everything we do.”
