The South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust triumphed at the 2024 Belfast Telegraph IT Awards, winning three categories, including IT Department of the Year for its digital services department.
The Trust launched Northern Ireland’s first fully integrated health and social care system, Encompass, in 2023, in collaboration with US company Epic. The system will ultimately consolidate healthcare records, training more than 9,400 staff, deploying 12,300 devices and integrating over 90 systems.
Early benefits include faster emergency care, improved cardiology and stroke services, and better pharmacy workflows.
In partnership with other HSCNI organisations, it sets a new global standard for healthcare IT.
Roisin Coulter, chief executive of South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, expressed her delight at the team winning the prestigious awards.
She said: “The South Eastern Trust has a proven track record of transforming services through digital solutions, and our ‘can-do’ attitude positioned us well to take on a transformative programme of this scale with confidence.”
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Darren Henderson, assistant director of technology and telecommunications at the Trust, added: “The digital services department along with the wider Trust Encompass team collaborated closely with Epic and our regional Encompass programme colleagues to deliver this clinically led, digitally enabled transformational project.
“The valuable experience and insights gained through this process have proved critical to the success of the programme as it continues to roll out across all Trusts in Northern Ireland.”
Emma Hannaway, assistant director of performance improvement and commissioning at the Trust, said: “This is an incredible achievement for the team and highlights their innovation, dedication and impact on driving digital transformation forward to support the delivery of health and social care services to our patients and clients.”
The judges commended the team for its successful implementation of the first phase of the Encompass health programme, saying: “Against a backdrop of extensive change for healthcare professionals and being the first Trust onboard the new digital systems and services, this work has transformed and enhanced the delivery of health and social care to around 345,000 citizens.”