Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 23 October 2019

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health

Sláintecare Implementation Strategy: Discussion

Photo of Michael HartyMichael Harty (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I would like to pick up on something Deputy O'Connell touched on, namely, the shared care record. When representatives of the IMO appeared here last week, they identified the shared care record as one of the critical enablers of reform of the health service because it crosses all clinical disciplines and drives efficiency. A practitioner could log into a shared care record and see what diagnostics have already been carried out and do not have to be duplicated, as well as finding information on a patient's current medication. This is absolutely critical, more so than clinical input and numbers of consultants, nurses and allied professions. It drives efficiency. One of the critical points in the Sláintecare report was the need for a shared care record and a single health identifier in order that people could be tracked through the system. It drives efficiency so well. It would substantially reduce waiting lists because there are many people on several waiting lists seeking service from several different hospitals and disciplines.

The Sláintecare report set aside a figure of €850 million or €875 million for the shared care record. In the current climate it is unlikely that this kind of money will be available in the short or medium term. How is the Sláintecare implementation office approaching the introduction of a shared care record? I see that e-health has been included under "Workstream 1" in the submission. What progress has been made on this? A shared care record also drives integration, another cornerstone of Sláintecare. It offers efficiency, integration and a better quality of care. What stage has that reached?

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