Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 56: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her views on reports that the €60 million Health Service Executive Integrated Patient Management System which manages confidential patient records has been plagued by security flaws and operational problems; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20287/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Health Service Executive's Integrated Patient Management System (IPMS) is currently in live operation in 26 hospitals and other community centres. The system successfully supports day-to-day patient administrative functions across all these locations as well as a range of clinical functions, which have yet to be more widely deployed. The HSE has confirmed that the system has proven to be operationally good and extremely reliable and has not suffered implementation difficulties beyond what would normally be expected in relation to any large complex IT system. It continues to be rolled out by the HSE in support of increased integration of services at regional level, which is a key aspect of health service reconfiguration. Regional deployments of the system continue to facilitate the sharing of patient records within each hospital group as an essential element of multi-site delivery of services.

I have been assured by the HSE that a recent media report claiming that IPMS has been plagued by security flaws and operational problems is completely without foundation. The report is understood to have been based on a number of HSE internal audits into the operation of IPMS, particularly at two of the HSE's hospitals. The audits did not uncover security deficiencies in the system itself, but did make some recommendations regarding improvements in management and operational procedures, which are being addressed by the HSE.