Belfast-based Telefónica Tech creates 20 jobs linked to major digital patient record contract

Digital transformation company Telefónica Tech has announced the creation of 20 highly skilled jobs to help deliver a major health contract in the north.

The tech firm, which employs 330 people in Belfast, is currently delivering a five-year IT managed services contract to support ‘Encompass’, the health and social care programme that is creating a single digital care record for every citizen who receives health and social care in the north.

The company said the 20 new roles will provide the specialist IT hosting and managed services strategic expertise required to underpin the contract.

Belfast Trust went live this month, replacing paper processes with the new digital patient record system.

It follows the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, which was the first trust to go live under the contract in November 2023.

Encompass sis due to roll out across all northern trusts over a two-year period.

Ellen Dickson, VP, enterprise health services at Telefónica Tech UK&I, said: “Encompass is a transformational project from an operational and medical point of view, making Northern Ireland the first part of the UK where patients have a single integrated care record.

“It is a highly complex project and critical to the health and wellbeing of service users in Northern Ireland.

“It will require the highest levels of service to support the approximately 70,000 staff members who will use the system once it is implemented across all the trusts.”

Dr Dermot Hughes, the senior responsible owner for the Encompass programme, added: “Telefónica Tech have contributed significantly to the successful implementation of the Epic Platform in Northern Ireland.

“Their dedicated healthcare focused team have brought experience and a collegiate partnership to the encompass programme. They have grown their Belfast based workforce and have done so by opening opportunities to all.”