Western Trust data gap under fire as hospital stats missing 17 months after Encompass launch
The Western Health and Social Care Trust has failed to provide key hospital activity statistics more than 17 months after introducing a new patient records system, prompting criticism from a local campaign group.
Save Our Acute Services (SOAS) has called on Health Minister Robbie Butler to challenge the Trust over the absence of figures from the latest Department of Health acute hospital statistics.
The missing data includes patient diagnoses, medical specialties, operations, and procedures. The Department of Health's latest report excluded the Western Trust from its detailed analysis, though other trusts that introduced the Encompass system at the same time were included.
A SOAS spokesperson described the situation as unacceptable, noting that the data involved patients who are acutely unwell. The group said the Minister of Health should critically challenge any trust failing to report such statistics.
The Western and Southern Trusts both introduced Encompass on May 8, 2025, but only the Southern Trust's figures appeared in the latest analysis.
The criticism comes amid scrutiny of emergency general surgery arrangements following the suspension of services at South West Acute Hospital in December 2022.
The Western Trust said it has been working through data validation processes since Encompass went live. A spokesperson said further validation and updating of the system is required before report publication, and that the figures should be available "as soon as possible."
Separately, the Trust announced more than £10 million of investment in elective care services, supporting additional appointments, scans, procedures and treatments at Altnagelvin Hospital, South West Acute Hospital and Omagh Hospital and Primary Care Complex.
The investment, funded by the Department of Health and the Strategic Planning and Performance Group, is aimed at reducing waiting times and improving access to care. It includes improvements in diagnostics, cancer care, trauma and orthopaedics, endoscopy, urology, women's health and patient flow.