Northern Ireland

Belfast health trust considering if junior doctors’ strike will delay rollout of multi-million pound patient records system

Junior doctors in Northern Ireland are staging two 48-hour walkouts, including one that directly clashes with the Belfast trust’s plans to introduce a major new patient records system next month

Junior doctors on the picket line
Junior doctors on the picket line outside the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast earlier this year. Two 48-hour walkouts are now planned on May22-23 and June 6-7. (David Young/PA)
By Allan Preston

BELFAST health trust has said it is considering whether a junior doctors’ strike in June will delay the planned rollout of a new multi-million pound patient records system.

The new encompass system is major investment from the health service to digitise patient records in Northern Ireland.

It was first launched in November across the South Eastern trust , with the Belfast trust due to follow next month.

By the time it has been fully implemented across Northern Ireland, the costs are projected to be around £300m – the equivalent of £150 for each of the north’s 1.9m residents.

The Belfast encompass rollout is set for June 6, clashing with the second of the 48-hour walkouts, planned from 7am on May 22-23 and June 6-7.

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A spokesperson from the Belfast trust said they would “carefully consider” the implications of the industrial action.

They added: “A decision on the implementation of encompass will be taken following consultation with colleagues from encompass, and the Department of Health.”

The trust had also been asked if any delays to the encompass rollout would result in extra costs or affect services.

After seven years of planning, the 'encompass' system will convert all patient records in Northern Ireland from paper to digital - with a predicted price tag of £300m once it is fully implemented.
After seven years of planning, the 'encompass' system will convert all patient records from paper to digital - with a predicted price tag of £300m once it is fully implemented. Launched in the South Eastern trust last year, it is due to start in Belfast on June 6.

Junior doctors in the BMA union are taking the action after pay negotiations with the Department of Health broke down.

They staged a 24-hour strike in March for the first ever time in Northern Ireland, calling for a full pay restoration to 2008 levels – claiming their pay has effectively been eroded by 30% since then.

Last week Health Minister Robin Swann told Stormont’s Health Committee the new strikes would have a very significant impact on health service delivery.

Stating he was committed to pay negotiations, he said the latest Stormont budget which he voted against limits his ability to act on the issue.

“We need to be clear that strike action at this time will have a very significant impact on service delivery and will further exacerbate the challenges facing our health service,” he said.

“However, I also have to warn this committee that the Executive budget as it stands will make further industrial action in our health service all the more likely.”

Chair of the BMA’s Northern Ireland junior doctor committee, Dr Fiona Griffin, pointed out that consultants plan to ballot members for strike action and an indicative ballot from SAS (specialist doctors) also returned a yes vote for the same course of action.

“The health service cannot function without doctors and they are leaving in growing numbers due to decreasing morale from poor pay and high workloads,” she said.

“We have been left with no choice but to take action. If our government wants the health service to survive and retain doctors, then it must act now and prioritise staff pay.

“Nothing less than a commitment to full pay restoration to 2008 levels will only address this.”