The NIPACS+ Programme builds on 14 years of work of the original NIPACS initiative, that has allowed Northern Ireland to digitise and connect its Radiology and Digital Pathology services.
NIPACS+ will be a regional system which will enable every trust across Northern Ireland to access imaging, enhance care, improve patient safety and support timely diagnoses for patients.
Led by the BSO, the Programme will enable the Health and Social Care service in Northern Ireland to transform how diagnostic services are delivered, as it will bring together millions of crucial digital patient images into a single system. To manage the implementation of NIPACS+, the programme is deploying in two Phases.
Phase 1
Regional implementation of radiology, which includes a major technical refresh of the regional data centre, regional network infrastructure and the implementation of local Business Continuity at Trust locations.
Key activities that have been completed as part of this implementation phase include:
- Integration of BCH and RVH Radiology sites – this consisted of a complete replacement of existing services and a transition to the NIPACS+ Solution.
- Major technical refresh of the regional data centres.
- Upgrade of regional network infrastructure.
- Implementation of local Trust Business Continuity infrastructure.
- On-site and home workstation deployment across 5 HSC Trusts.
Key activities outstanding:
- Workstation refresh. Scheduled to be completed by August 2024.
Read about the go-live at RVH on Saturday 20th April 2024 by following the link: NIPACS+ Go Live Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH) Belfast – Business Services Organisation (BSO) Website (hscni.net)
Phase 2
Implementation of Additional Imaging Specialties (AIS) which will enable Northern Ireland’s healthcare professionals to access and interact with patient images from a wide range of disciplines, including;
- Cardiology
- Oncology
- Obstetrics
- Endoscopy
- Medical Photography
- Nuclear Medicine
- Dental
- Ophthalmology
Each Trust will be implemented in tandem with the encompass Programme for AIS.
Successful Go-Lives to Date
SEHSCT: November 2023, the Programme achieved its first Phase 2 Go-Live for Additional Imaging Specialties (AIS).
BHSCT: June 2024, the second Phase 2 go-live took place for Additional Imaging Specialties (AIS).
To get a feel for the scale of the most recent go-live, please take a moment to watch this 2 minute video walk-through of the BHSCT AIS departments: