My Care portal to be rolled out across Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland’s department of health has set out a timescale for the rollout of a patient portal which allows people to view parts of their medical records. 

The My Care portal has been created to coincide with the move from paper patient records to electronic patient records (EPRs), through the encompass initiative to create a single digital care record for every citizen in Northern Ireland who receives health and social care.

My Care was first implemented in the South Eastern and Social Care Trust in November 2023, followed by Belfast Health and Social Care Trust in June 2024.

Northern Health and Social Care Trust is expected to go live with the portal on 7 November 2024, followed by Southern and Western Health and Social Care Trusts on 8 May 2025.

In a statement, Mike Nesbitt, health minister for Northern Ireland, encouraged patients to create a My Care account so they can access information as it becomes available in their trust area.

“My Care provides patients with access to information on their care in the palm of their hands.

“Building on the transformation to EPRs facilitated by encompass, this patient portal provides personalised and secure online access to information including medical appointments, medication and some test results.

“This is truly revolutionary in empowering patients to take an active role in their healthcare and wellness,” Nesbitt said.

Patients and service users are able to access their health information via the My Care app or web page by creating an account.

They can continue to receive traditional communication such as paper appointment letters alongside My Care, and are able to permit proxy access to third parties such as a carer or family member to assist with managing their care if they wish.

Dr Dermot Hughes, the senior responsible owner for encompass at Health and Social Care Northern Ireland, said: “My Care is an important component running alongside the introduction of encompass and has huge benefits for patients.

“We are continuing with work to roll out encompass across the remaining three trust areas and have no doubt that My Care will play a significant part in its success”.

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland’s blood transfusion service migrated from its 15-year-old laboratory information system to Clinisys WinPath in June 2024, with the aim of creating a single technology platform.