Today’s launch of the HSE’s Health app is just one small step in Ireland’s painfully slow implementation of a modern digital health strategy, according to Social Democrats TD Pádraig Rice.
Deputy Rice, who is the party’s spokesperson on health, said:
“The arrival of the new HSE app, while welcome, is a reminder of how far behind we are in having a modern health service that has adapted with the times. The reality is that we have barely scratched the surface, with many of our health services still operating like we’re back at the turn of the millennium.
“The new app is the bare minimum we should expect at this stage, and this first version still places the onus on patients to maintain their own records.
“Twelve years after the first eHealth strategy was published, we still don’t have electronic health records (EHRs) and our services continue to operate in silos, largely reliant on paper and pen.
“In 2023, Ireland was ranked worst among OECD countries for digital health policies, and we continue to be laggards in this area. By comparison, 23 EU member states now provide access to electronic health records.
“Ireland’s progress has moved at a snail’s pace. While the Health Information Bill has been in the works since 2008, it hasn’t even passed committee stage in the Dáil yet.
“The fragmented nature of data collection in Ireland has undermined the State’s ability to plan healthcare services effectively and efficiently, and this continues to be the case.
“Sláintecare was clear on the importance of eHealth in enabling reform of our health service, and yet all these years later, we are only getting started.
“The potential for eHealth to transform our health service is enormous but it must be prioritised and, crucially, properly funded.
“The Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation has a lot to answer for when it comes to the failure to deliver on the 2013 strategy. The 2024 Digital Health Framework must not be allowed to suffer the same faith.”
February 25, 2025