Staff from the South Eastern Trust are celebrating success at the prestigious Digital Health and Care Northern Ireland (DHCNI) Awards, with the Regional HSC Breast Assessment Waiting List initiative taking top honours alongside the Trust’s Mobile Access Management project.
The Regional Breast Assessment Waiting List initiative won the Improving Services Through Digital category while the Mobile Access Management project was named winner in the Improving Staff Experience category.
There was further success for the Trust, with colleagues and projects recognised as runners-up and finalists across several other categories.
The DHCNI Awards celebrate innovation and excellence in digital health and care, recognising the individuals, teams and organisations using technology and data to improve services, enhance patient care and support staff across Health and Social Care (HSC).
The Regional Breast Assessment Waiting List initiative is a Regional HSC project which uses the capabilities of encompass to transform the management, visibility and co-ordination of breast assessment services across Northern Ireland. By introducing a single Regional approach to waiting list management, the project has improved access to patient information for clinical and administrative teams, enhanced the tracking of patient pathways and provided greater oversight of service demand and capacity. The award recognises digital projects that deliver measurable improvements in access, quality or safety of services, highlighting the important role technology can play in supporting more effective and co-ordinated care.
The Mobile Access Management project was recognised for its contribution to improving staff experience through the Trust-wide rollout of the Imprivata solution. The solution has strengthened the governance, security and accountability of shared mobile clinical devices used to support encompass. The award acknowledges digital solutions that make a difference to staff workload, wellbeing, efficiency and professional satisfaction.
Congratulating all the winners, runners-up and finalists, South Eastern Trust, Director of Planning, Performance and Information Technology, Helen Moore, said: “I am delighted that our teams have been recognised for their innovation and commitment to improving Health and Social Care through digital technology.
“These awards demonstrate how collaboration, forward thinking and the effective use of digital solutions can make a real difference to the way services are delivered. The Regional Breast Assessment Waiting List initiative is helping to strengthen the co-ordination and oversight of services while Mobile Access Management is supporting our staff to use digital technology securely and efficiently.
“I would like to congratulate everyone involved in these projects and all our colleagues who were recognised as winners, runners-up and finalists. Their achievements reflect the dedication and expertise of our staff and their shared commitment to improving services for our patients and communities.”
South Eastern Trust, Chief Nursing & Midwifery Information Officer, Angela Reed, added: “Digital transformation is about much more than technology. It is about making a difference to patients and the staff who care for them. From improving the visibility of Regional waiting lists, to supporting staff with secure access to digital systems, this work shows how the right digital solutions can help improve safety, strengthen decision-making and make every-day working practices more effective.
“I am particularly pleased to see the breadth of talent and innovation recognised across the awards, including the achievements of our emerging digital leaders such as Faye Murray within my own team. Congratulations to everyone involved in this fantastic success.”
Digital Practice Officer, Faye Murray was named runner-up in the Digital Rising Star category, which celebrates individuals at the beginning of their digital or data careers who demonstrate exceptional promise, commitment and achievement. Advanced Practitioner Occupational Therapist and Interim Lead Shannon Rocks was also a finalist in the category, recognised for her instrumental role in the implementation of encompass since its go-live in November 2023.
The Help Kids Talk initiative was runner-up in the Empowering People Through Digital category. This community-wide partnership brings together statutory, voluntary and community organisations across Lisburn and Castlereagh to support the speech, language and communication development of babies, children and young people. By building the confidence and knowledge of those who work with and care for children, the initiative helps empower families and professionals to support communication development in everyday settings.
There was recognition in the Driving Change Using Data and Analytics category, with both the AKESO Frailty Transformation Hospital at Home project and the Elective Care Dashboard project named runners-up. The AKESO Frailty Transformation Hospital at Home project demonstrated how data-driven innovation can improve patient care, optimise hospital capacity and support strategic healthcare reform. The Elective Care Dashboard project addressed the need for greater visibility across elective care, supporting more informed, data-driven decision-making and helping services better understand performance and demand.