Hospital Consultants call for renewed urgency on digital health roll-out
IHCA wants Government to commit to faster timeline for introduction of new national Electronic Health Record
The Government should provide additional resources to the HSE to allow it to accelerate the delivery of its landmark national Electronic Health Record (EHR), according to Hospital Consultants.
Approved by Government in February this year, the procurement of the flagship national EHR – or HSE One Health Record – is due to enter a dialogue stage with potential bidders this month. Invitations to submit final tenders for the largest investment in digital healthcare capability ever undertaken in Ireland will follow in December, with a final contract due to issue in May 2027.1
The Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) said the new EHR is a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to transform the Irish health services’ digital infrastructure, and that its members stand ready to support and assist the roll-out, as it will dramatically improve patient care.
Current plans envisage a regional implementation of the EHR across four phases, with the Dublin and North East expected to be the first region to go live. However, with the national rollout not anticipated to be completed until 2032 at the earliest, the IHCA has called for every available resource to be allocated to the HSE to accelerate delivery and ensure the project is initiated as quickly as possible.
The national EHR is the cornerstone of the Government’s commitment to fully digitise healthcare records and information systems, as set out in the Programme for Government and Sláintecare. It was described by the Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, in February as a “landmark step” in delivering a modern, connected health service.2
The IHCA said the current fragmented nature of digital technology in the health service was impacting directly on patient care. To deliver the Sláintecare vision, it said health and social care services must be redesigned and digitally transformed to ensure seamless transitions of care between acute and community services. The Association said that transformation would be a “game changer” for patients.
The contract to design, build, implement, host and provide ongoing support for the national EHR could last for a period of up to 20 years. While no indicative cost has been attached to the contract, delivery is estimated to require an investment of multiple billions.3 HSE Chief Clinical Information Officer Prof Richard Greene told those attending the IHCA’s FutureCare conference in Dublin in February that there had been “significant industry interest” in the procurement process.
Commenting on the urgent need for a national EHR, IHCA President Prof Gabrielle Colleran said:
“Currently, healthcare professionals are unable to access and assess patient records in a joined-up, real-time fashion. A new national EHR would be transformational in nature and a once-in-a-generation opportunity to catch up to other countries where digital health records are the norm, enhancing productivity, healthcare outcomes, and service experience for patients.
“In an era of exciting digital health innovation such as AI, it is clear that the existing reality of clipboards, paper, pens, pencils and fax machines across Irish hospitals is out of step with the modern world, deeply inefficient, and represents a burden to both healthcare practitioners and patients. Our membership wants to see the delivery of a new national EHR system as soon as possible and is committed to assisting the HSE and Department in achieving that aim. Our members are committed to this patient-centred, clinically led process and will ensure that there are integrated evidence-based standards across clinical pathways that ensure the highest quality of care across the country.
“A national EHR with integrated shared care records will remove the frustration of having to search for paper charts, of queueing to access legacy IT systems, of asking patients to repeatedly explain their history or of providing care without a comprehensive medical chart. Ultimately, it will enhance safety standards by incorporating clinical decision support tools, electronic prescribing, and medication management, improving patient safety.
“We fully embrace this vital effort to digitise healthcare records in Ireland, in order to improve productivity and patient outcomes, are committed to leading its implementation and we strongly encourage Government to ensure that the journey starts without further delay.”
ENDS
1. Notice for HSE One Health Record Application Service, eTenders website: https://www.etenders.gov.ie/epps/cft/listContractDocuments.do?resourceId=7469411
2. Department of Health press statement, 5 February 2026; https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-health/press-releases/minister-announces-government-approval-to-commence-procurement-for-a-national-electronic-health-record/
3. Dáil PQ response from Minister Stephen Donnelly to Deputy Cathal Crowe, 23 January 2024; https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2024-01-23/591/
Further Information:
JP Hughes, Head of Communications & Strategy, Office of the CEO
Irish Hospital Consultants Association
Email: jphughes@ihca.ie, Tel: 085 77 66 393