Sunday 9 November 2025 marked two years since the roll-out of the major new digital patient record system, encompass, across the South Eastern Trust. It was an historic moment.
The Trust was the first in Northern Ireland to implement this innovative digital system, transforming how patient information is recorded, accessed and shared across Health and Social Care settings.
This digital milestone represents the culmination of over ten years of hard work to make our Health Service safer, more efficient and effective, while improving access to information for both staff and patients.
encompass has now been rolled out across every Trust in Northern Ireland, meaning that Health and Social Care records are digitised, accessible at the touch of a button and the need for paper records reduced.
Regional Chief Clinical Information Officer & Consultant Physician, Dr David Wilson, who has been closely involved in the implementation of encompass, reflected on the journey, “It has been an incredible experience helping to implement encompass and by doing so transforming healthcare in Northern Ireland. As a Clinician, some of the things I do every day, like ordering tests and getting results have been completely transformed.“I can order multiple tests with one click and the results come directly back to my in-basket rather than having to wait on paper reports being passed through secretaries. Benefits like these have been seen across the board. I hear about efficiencies and benefits from all the time from Clinicians, Nurses, Allied Health Professionals, Pharmacy staff, Social Workers and operational teams.
“A significant benefit for patients has been the MyCare portal, allowing them to receive results and appointment letters instantly, it also improves engagement and communication. There is also the added benefit of proxy access for relatives of children or elderly patients, helping families stay informed about their loved ones’ care.”
Highlighting the impact within community services, District Nursing Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Suzanne Rogan said, “encompass has made a huge difference within District Nursing. It has greatly improved efficiency, reduced paperwork and streamlined documentation, freeing up more time for direct patient care. It has also enhanced communication across a wide range of services.
“The teams feel a real sense of pride and achievement in how they have embraced the digital platform, it has modernised Community Nursing.”
Senior Community Staff Nurse, Zoe Adair added, “Since the implementation of encompass, patients have noticed an improvement in their care.
“Because it is now live across all Trusts, we can see outcomes from patients’ appointments elsewhere, which helps us follow up and coordinate care more effectively.“MyCare is a fantastic tool for patients. They can see when a Nurse is due to visit and who it will be. That helps them feel more informed and secure. It is no longer just a stranger at the door, but a familiar name and face they are expecting.”
Reflecting on the success so far, Dr David Wilson commented, “All the hard work implementing encompass has absolutely been worth it. We are now at the end of the implementation phase with all Trusts and recently Healthcare in Prisons live on the system. We still have some smaller go-lives to deliver, such as Children’s Social Care and replacing the Child Health System, but the focus now moves to continuous optimisation of the system. There are many more improvements to come, with encompass enabling new models of care, collaboration across boundaries and transformation of services. It is a very exciting time for Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland.”
