Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I may be wrong about this but at one stage we had something like 1,700 different types of computer systems in the health service. I am not sure what that number is now but that was five years ago. I am sure it has changed somewhat. I keep raising this issue. Denmark started in 1996. About four or five years ago they had 25 different systems and they are working towards having five. If there are private hospitals with a different type of system, how are we working with them on this? It is likewise with the GPs and pharmacies. What is being done so all of the systems can blend together and so there are not any hitches in the sharing of information that is necessary in order to look after the patient?