John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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836. To ask the Minister for Health to outline progress on electronic patient records and on digital applications, around patient details and patient identification (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57231/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Ireland’s Digital for Care Strategic Framework (2024–2030), published in 2024, sets out a clear roadmap for the digitisation of the Irish health and the need to deliver critical, patient-centred digital solutions. Informed by international experience and extensive stakeholder engagement in Ireland, the framework is supported by six principles to guide investment and provide clear direction for the growth of digital health infrastructure and capabilities. The EU Digital Decade sets the ambition that all EU citizens will be able to access their electronic health record by 2030. Whilst Ireland has improved its position since the framework was published, we are still considered a laggard and have much work to do.

The Programme for Government recognises the ambition set out in Digital for Care and states that it will ‘to continue to work towards the full digitisation of Irish healthcare records and information systems.’

Digital for Care is transformational and represents a fundamental shift away from traditional paper-based patient records towards modern, integrated electronic health documentation. By replacing fragmented paper systems with secure, interoperable digital records, the framework aims to deliver better continuity of care, enhance patient safety, and enable clinicians to access accurate information in real time when required for direct patient care.

To manage risk, gain experience (‘learning by doing’) and demonstrate progress in the short, medium and longer term, Ireland is pursuing a three-step approach to the delivery of electronic health records in Ireland, comprising (1) a National Patient App, (2) the National Shared Care Record and (3) an enterprise level Electronic Health Record that will be centrally procured and configured, but regionally deployed and owned by each of the six health regions. Delivering digital health records for all is central to delivering Sláintecare’s vision of reformed health systems capable of delivering better integrated and safer care.

Digital for Care gained strong momentum in 2025. Whilst it includes a broad range of digital health and infrastructure initiatives, specific highlights in relation to digital health records include:

• HSE Health App: Launched in February 2025, the HSE Health app has now been downloaded by 140,000+ people, with 91,524 users accessing their personal health information. The v3.0 (in August 2025) release significantly expands coverage—over 1.3 million appointments for more than 870,000 patients will be visible in app—alongside feature upgrades that deepen patient engagement and reduce missed appointments. The app has also been recognised with three national awards in 2025, underscoring its role in empowering patients and improving access. The app has been co-designed with a wide range of people who use our services, staff, and advocacy organisations, who have been active partners throughout the process. Future app features will be guided by ongoing research and engagement with patients, staff, advocacy organisations, and the public.
• National Shared Care Record (NSCR): The Health Service Executive (HSE) completed the procurement for the National Shared Care Record (NSCR) earlier this year. The NSCR programme has now been mobilized, with the contract for building the technology platform signed in Q1 2025. The NSCR brings together healthcare information from various sources such as hospitals, GP practices, and Community care into a single place, making them available at the point of care and self-care in read only format. By having access to key healthcare information in one place means healthcare professionals will be able to make more informed, safer decisions and to focus more time on direct patient care while patients will be better informed and empowered to manage their own healthcare.
  
  An initial deployment of the National Shared Care Record by the end of 2025 to a selected, representative group of healthcare professionals in the Waterford/ Wexford healthcare area. This will help inform the national rollout, with the initial dataset, that will take place throughout 2026. In parallel, patient data from additional sources will be incrementally added to the National Shared Care Record in future releases as it becomes available. Together with the HSE Health App, investing in a NSCR means unlocking fragmented data into a powerful tool for safer, coordinated patient-centred care while laying the foundation for a modern, connected and more efficient health service as we plan for a National Electronic Health Record.
• Enterprise EHR: The usefulness of the NSCR is limited by the patient data, in digital format, that it can access. Systems of Record are still needed to record this data. In the same way GP practices already have ‘systems of record’ where they maintain patient data, similar investments are still needed across the majority of our hospitals and other community healthcare settings. The Enterprise Electronic Health Record (EHR) is intended to fill this gap by supporting integrated care across all settings. Not only will the enterprise EHR record patient data, it will also support the implementation of best clinical practice through processes that are aligned with agreed clinical models. A preliminary business case (PBC) for the National EHR has been developed by the HSE, setting out the case for the most ambitious transformation programme in the history of the health service. In accordance with DPER’s infrastructure guidelines the EHR PBC went through an independent, external assurance process (EAP) review in July and was considered COMPLIANT in all areas. There were a series of recommendations arising from the EAP process and these were accepted and will be implemented. Also, in accordance with Infrastructure Guidelines, the PBC was reviewed by the Major Project Assurance Group (MPAG), in September. Based on their recommendations, updates to the business case are being accommodate and their feedback will also inform the memo to the Government required to secure consent to move to the next stage gate for the programme (preparation for procurement).