Written answer
Patient Files
The MN-CMS is live in six maternity hospitals/units, covering 70% of births, with four more sites planned but dates unconfirmed.
3792. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the total number of the 19 maternity hospitals that are fully computerised/digitised, which can operate without paper files; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57718/26]
Comment on this
Digital for Care: A Digital Health Framework for Ireland 2024–2030 sets out the Government’s roadmap for the digital transformation of health and social care services, including the progressive implementation of electronic health records across the Irish health service.
The National Maternal and Newborn Clinical Management System, or MN-CMS, is Ireland’s first national enterprise Electronic Health Record and represents a significant milestone in the digital transformation of maternity services. The system provides a single, integrated digital healthcare record for mothers and babies throughout their care journey and supports improved patient safety, clinical decision-making and care coordination.
MN-CMS is now live across all five stand-alone maternity hospitals in Ireland plus the maternity unit at UHK. These are:
• Cork University Maternity Hospital;
• The Rotunda Hospital;
• The National Maternity Hospital;
• University Hospital Kerry;
• Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital; and
• University Maternity Hospital Limerick.
As a result of these deployments, approximately 70% of babies born in Ireland now have a digital health record from birth. This is a significant achievement and demonstrates the progress being made towards modern, digitally enabled maternity care.
The HSE is progressing the next phase of the programme, which is intended to extend MN-CMS to additional maternity units, including Cavan General Hospital, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda, Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise and Regional Hospital Mullingar.
The HSE has advised that these sites remain subject to detailed implementation planning, local readiness assessments and resource availability. For that reason, final go-live dates have not yet been confirmed. The HSE continues to progress implementation planning for these sites as part of the next phase of the programme.
The Government remains committed to the continued rollout of MN-CMS as part of the wider Digital for Care programme and the broader objective of delivering integrated electronic health records across health and social care services.