Dr. Colm Henry:

In the absence of a record, we rely on information in the GP's referral letter if that is the source of referral. At the point of entry to hospital, the hospital will have access to previous laboratory and X-ray results and patient notes. What is really important and raised by the Deputy's question is the notion of triage because in the world of emergency departments, triage categorises patients into their level of risk. That is independent of the condition they have. When we are talking about sepsis or indeed heart attacks or stroke, we are talking about early identification of one particular clinical syndrome that requires fast-tracking along the route that was described by Dr. Martin, that is, that three things that must be taken and three things must be given, according to sepsis 6. Therefore, yes, there is information available. It is not an electronic healthcare record. That would give us much richer information on patients wherever they may present, be it in GP clinics or hospitals. What is critical to what we are trying to ensure is core to the practice of every healthcare professional, be it a hospital emergency department or the community, is-----