Written answer
Health Services
The national EHR project awaits business-case approval before a 12-month competitive dialogue; regions will help select one system, delivered incrementally over 7–10 years.
3891. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on National Electronic Health Record (EHR) project; the status of the vendors shortlist; the expected length of this process; following the creation of a shortlist, if each region will run choose their own preferred EHR vendor; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58093/26]
Comment on this
As stated in response to PQ 58094/26, the next steps in the National Electronic Health Record (EHR) project, once a shortlist of vendors has been created is to secure approval of the detailed business case as required under Government Infrastructure Guidelines www.gov.ie/en/department-of-public-expenditure-infrastructure-public-service-reform-and-digitalisation/collections/infrastructure-guidelines/
That will permit the HSE to commence the next stage in the procurement process, which is the competitive dialogue process. Given the scale and complex nature of this programme, we anticipate competitive dialogue could take 12 months from approval at Gate 2. That will be followed by a stage where contractual details are finalised before reverting to Government, as required under gate 3 of the infrastructure guidelines, for a formal decision to process based on actual costs. Investment in the national EHR programme will then extend over a period of 7 to 10 years, with incremental delivery of capabilities over that period, rather than a 'big bang' approach.
Health regions will participate in the selection of the Electronic Health Record system, with the objective of selecting one system that works for all regions. One of the more significant aspects of the Digital for Care strategy was the need to focus everything we do in digital health around the needs of the patient as well as healthcare professionals. It therefore makes sense to establish a single digital health record for each patient rather than a separate one (via a separate EHR system) in each of the (6) health regions. Other organisations (like banks) would never do that so there is no reason why we should do so in health.