James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

What is the view of Mr. Breen and the agency of the HSE's patient management system in respect of individual data? Perhaps a patient was in hospital and undergoing treatment for an advanced healthcare problem that required input from consultants from different locations, along with the patient's GP or pharmacist, about their prescriptions, follow-on care and all of that. I am hearing from people who work in healthcare that there is a more up-to-date IT system for the medication and healthcare of animals than for people. I am also hearing that if somebody has to get files from different hospital groups on different campuses, whether they are in private care or trying to request documentation from the HSE, it can take up to a month. That is what I have been told by some doctors. It is shocking. It is no surprise to me that the HSE is having to deal with so many legal cases and actions. That is the endpoint of a process that amounts to failure. A patient would be entitled and right to bring a case for wrongdoing. How can we get to a situation where we can fix that problem? The IT system in the health service requires to be fixed. In 2023, we still do not seem to have a properly functioning system, according to many healthcare professionals who have come to me.

I just want to get an indication from the witnesses. Is that a conversation they have been having with the HSE? In all honesty, if it is not, it is about time they did. Have they been having those discussions?