1 November 2024
The Health Minister has paid tribute to the hard work and dedication of Business Services Organisation (BSO) staff who are helping to transform the regional testing system, delivering better outcomes for patients.
Across NI there are 40m laboratory tests a year. With up to 80% of all healthcare diagnostic and therapeutic decisions informed by laboratory test results, our health service is completely reliant on a high functioning laboratory system.
As part of the CoreLIMS Digital Pathology Laboratory Management System, new systems are going live in Northern Ireland Health Trusts.
This week the #BSO implemented phase three of the CoreLIMS (Laboratory Information Management System) Project into Northern Health and Social Care Trust, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust.
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said: “I would like to acknowledge all the teams and individuals involved in the successful implementation. Congratulations to the BSO CoreLIMS Project Team and Northern Health and Social Care Trust laboratory staff for all their hard work and dedication. I look forward to seeing how clinical care throughout HSCNI will benefit and how the transformation will improve patient care.
“A world class digital healthcare service is at the heart of our future healthcare needs. This will enable us to better manage increasing demand, standardise reporting across the health service and ensure a better service for patients.”
The CoreLIMS Project’s main outcome is to deliver IT transformation by replacing seven disparate ageing systems, in use within HSC for more than 30 years, with a state-of-the-art regional solution.
After a successful rollout in Belfast and South Eastern Trusts in November 2023, the recent Phase three implementation at Northern Trust included Biochemistry, Haematology and Microbiology modules, with additional modules implemented at Belfast and South Eastern Trusts.
This third phase marks another milestone in transforming and modernising laboratories, which will deliver more efficient and safer service to Trusts, GPs and, ultimately, patients. The transition to WinPath Enterprise LIMS has been smooth thanks to the collaborative working between Trusts’ laboratory staff, the BSO CoreLIMS Project Team and the supplier, Clinisys.
Karin Jackson, Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service (NIBTS), who’s responsible for CoreLIMS, thanked all involved in the rollout: “Years of preparation, training, testing, and hard work brought the CoreLIMS project to this point. Yet again this has been tremendous work by an amazing team. Well done to all Trust staff, BSO and Clinisys on another great milestone achieved on this CoreLIMS expedition.”
CoreLIMS is a key enabler, supporting further implementation and optimisation of other digital solutions including the Blood Production and Tracking programme due to commence rollout in early 2026. Prior to the implementation of encompass, regional Trusts need programmes such as the Northern Ireland Digital Identity Service (NIDIS) and CoreLIMS to be in place. The CoreLIMS go-live in Northern Trust took place two weeks ahead of the encompass go-live for this reason.
By embracing the CoreLIMS Project, laboratories are supporting future digital developments across HSCNI initiatives and programmes that will transform patient care in Northern Ireland.
To learn more visit: https://bso.hscni.net/directorates/digital/nipims/laboratory-information-management-system-lims/