South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust are launching their new electronic patient record called ‘encompass’ (early November) and will cease to use paper records.
From this point onwards, health and social care records will be digital, meaning consistent processes and data. Professionals believe encompass will make service delivery safer, more efficient and effective.
Numerous professions (including nurses) and trusts, alongside the Department of Health and patients themselves, have played a key role in the creation of encompass. The service will be rolled out to other trusts over the next 18 to 24 months.
Roisin Coulter, chief executive of the South Eastern Trust, said: ‘At a later stage of the roll-out, everyone across Northern Ireland will be able to install an app on their mobile device called MyCare where they will be able to access their own patient records. This will be revolutionary.
‘There will inevitably be disruption to services in the initial period but every effort will be made to keep this to a minimum’, Roisin continued. ‘The long-term gains for service delivery are immense.’
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