To ask the Minister of Health to detail any provisions that exist within the Encompass system to (i) incorporate additional referral mechanisms, if the need should arise; and (ii) connect with data held by other public bodies to give a broader picture of the health and well-being of patients.

The encompass platform is designed to support multiple referral mechanisms and can accommodate additional referral pathways if a need arises.

The encompass system will hold information collected during episodes of care in the Acute, Community and Mental Health sectors. As with other health related information sources, access to both patient identifiable information and anonymised health information is strictly governed. Currently, encompass data is not connected to other public body data and any requests to do so will be subject to strict information governance considerations.