Mr. Muiris O'Connor:

It is difficult to set out a timeline. There is a shared appreciation across Departments of the importance of digitisation, particularly given the challenges presented by growing demand and people’s eagerness to play a part in managing their own health and have health information available to them to connect the various services. It will require investment. Legislative clarification will come through the health information Bill, which will be progressed in parallel and will clarify matters. While the digitisation of all of our health facilities has a long timeframe, it is urgent that it begin immediately. The Department and the HSE, through the strategic framework, are looking at introducing the systemic elements, for example, standardising referral forms, summary care records for everyone and the capability to share care records across facilities. This is about ensuring that we have strategies for the spaces in between facilities as well as for kitting out the facilities themselves. The digitisation is a long path, but getting the data right is something on which we are actively focused.