28 August 2026 · Awards · News
We’ve been shortlisted for the Irish Healthcare Awards 2026
NEC has been shortlisted for five different awards at the Irish Healthcare Awards 2026!
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Screening Services that puts patients first
Award-winning delivery of high performance programmes
Screening Services that puts patients first
Award-winning delivery of high performance programmes
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DELIVERING NATIONAL SCREENING PROGRAMMES IN IRELAND
DELIVERING NATIONAL SCREENING PROGRAMMES IN IRELAND
We’ve delivered Ireland’s newborn hearing screening programme since 2011, helping to reduce the time it takes to identify hearing loss from three years to three months. Now, 99.97% of eligible newborn babies are screened within 3 months of birth – 37 days quicker than the international standard – and we’ve screened more than 700,000 babies so far.
We also deliver Ireland’s diabetic eye screening programme, for which we won a 2023 Irish Healthcare Award. Providing the national service across all 160 sites in Ireland, our friendly team works hard to make sure all eligible patients aged 12 and over are offered a potentially sight-saving appointment.
See why we’re shortlisted for the 2026 Irish Healthcare Awards
SCREENING SERVICES FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMNENT
With over 15 years’ experience delivering innovative screening services, our people have a passion for patient-centred care.
From putting parents at ease during newborn screening to tackling health inequalities, our expert teams know what it takes to reach as many people as possible.
PATIENT-FIRST SCREENING SERVICES
With experience delivering managed services across Ireland and beyond, including the UK, we work hard to make them seamless for users and commissioners.
Smart Software
We use our industry-leading screening software to take results straight from screening equipment and track patients from end to end.
Friendly Teams
We know that patients often worry about screening appointments, so from a warm welcome to a rapid test, our people know how to put them at ease.
Robust Processes
To maximise coverage, we use failsafe techniques and tight operating procedures, reporting openly on our KPIs at every stage.
Continued Innovation
By taking every opportunity to improve our software and service delivery, we can introduce new screening pathways quickly and effectively.
Meet our Screening Services team
Shane McMahon
General Manager, Ireland
Shane joined NEC in 2018 as Programme Manager. He was promoted to General Manager in June 2023, taking responsibility for both the Newborn and Diabetic screening activities. Shane has spent almost all of his career within healthcare operations and management.
Joanne Harmon
Deputy Programme Manager, DRS
Joanne joined the company as a technician in 2014 and was promoted to deputy programme manager for the diabetic eye screening programme in 2023. She has a background in retail and science, which helps to ensure a patient–centred approach to screening.
Nikayla Phelan
Quality and Development Coordinator
Nikayla joined NEC as a technician in January 2025. She then progressed to Quality and Development Coordinator in June 2025 for both the Diabetic Retina Screening Programme and the Newborn Hearing Screening Programme. She has a background in health and nursing.
Ruth McCarthy
Operations Support
Ruth joined NEC in May 2025 as Operations Support for the Diabetic Retina Screening Programme. She has a background in health and population screening programmes in both the UK and Ireland.
Caoife Shine
Team Leader, DRS
Caoife joined NEC in 2020 as a technician before becoming Senior Technician in December 2023 and then Team Leader in September 2024. She has a background in optics and retail and is committed to fostering a supportive environment for patients.
Ciara Edmonds
Team Leader, DRS
Ciara joined NEC in March 2025 as Team Leader of the technician team for the Diabetic Retina Screening Programme. She has a background in optics private healthcare.
Dylan Lee O’Connell
Team Leader, DRS
Dylan joined NEC in April 2025 as team leader of the admin team for the Diabetic Retina Screening Programme. Dylan had previous experience working with NEC as a senior administrator in 2023/2024.
Lucy Kinnear
Team Leader, DRS
Lucy joined NEC in March 2024 as and administrator for the Diabetic Retina Screening Programme. She was then promoted to Senior Administrator in October 2024 and has since been promoted to Team Leader in July 2026.
Annette O’Rourke
Regional Coordinator, UNHSP
Annette joined NEC in 2013 after a career in Management. Annette is now the Regional Coordinator for our newborn hearing screening programme covering Dublin North East and Dublin Mid Leinster.
Rachel Byrne
Regional Coordinator, UNHSP
Rachel joined the NEC in 2013. She commenced her career within the screening team in Waterford and Wexford, where she served for two years before being promoted to Operational Coordinator in 2015, a position she held with dedication for a decade. In 2025, she advanced further within the organisation, assuming the role of Regional Coordinator.
Clare Clancy
Regional Coordinator, UNHSP
Clare joined NEC in 2013. She is now the Regional Coordinator for our newborn hearing screening programme covering the West of Ireland.
Healthcare insight
28 August 2026 · Awards · News
