"Not well thought through"

My Care, Encompass (HSC Northern Ireland) has been a long time coming, but is a step in the right direction ... however ... in its current form it is not well thought through ...  

I need to engage with primary, secondary and consultant services regularly because I have multi-comorbidities. My medical practice in Ballymena merged with two other practices in April 2024 - now accessing the practice by phone is a challenge. When it makes more sense to speak directly to my consultants' office, I do this, and have at moments of desperation and pain emailed the consultants. Now I been advised by Belfast Complaints to desist.

In December 2024 January 2025, I queried Encompass's messaging feature, which is advertised, but which is currently non-functional. Why is the messaging service not available to patients? I use my medical practice's Patient Access, which also offers a messaging feature. It is not active. Why?

I find My Care, Encompass not well thought through for these reasons: before each consultant/ clinician/ service appointment I have been asked to complete pre-appointment checks and complete patient notes (presumably so that the clinician can read and be ready for the patient appointment) at few appointments has the clinician read my notes, or even been aware that I as a patient have access to this online patient account. At least this is my assumption because the mention of pre-notes and Encompass generates bemused looks. I understand that clinicians will want to ask me their own questions and base their diagnoses on my responses, but why then ask me to complete pre-appointment notes?

Via the My Care app, as well as prepare for appointments (which no one then reads) I can read my test results, but not up date/ correct my current medications list. I cannot access my scans/ X Rays/ images. I can access my patient notes from 2025 and after a given date in 2024, but not before, and this is limiting - I have been under-going medical assessment with the BHSCT/NHSCT for over five years, but can only get access to a fraction of my notes.

When I receive an email alert from the My Care app to read the appointment follow up summary ... there is no summary. I can read that I have an appointment, which Encompass calls 'visit' on line, but I then also receive a paper appointment, and with the Belfast Trust sometimes the same appointment letter in triplicate, and sometimes even with a map of the venue ... even when the appointment is a telephone appointment! And the Trusts constantly highlight lack of funds.

My Care, Encompass is not linked to my GP's practice Patient Access ... why? It does not allow me to access links between Primary and Secondary Care. Why? Given the difficulty I face telephoning my GP practice and many of the Belfast Trust's services - an e link between Primary, Secondary, Consultant and Patient would make sense ... at least to a patient.

In all, the My Care app is a step in the right direction, but currently it offers a service that is only partly functional, partly of use to the patient. Why?