DELIVERING DIGITAL FOR CARE: CIO Fran Thompson's Mid-Year Update

Fran Thompson, Chief Information Officer for HSE Technology and Transformation, sat down with us to share an update on the past six months and outline the next steps in Ireland’s digital health transformation, highlighting several strategic programmes aligned with the Digital for Care framework. Among the standout initiatives is the Health App, launched earlier this year with two additional releases planned to expand its user base.

The rollout of Office 365 marks a milestone, building on prior foundational work by HealthIRL. Infrastructure advancements include plans to deploy the national Enterprise Wireless Network across all HSE sites.

A major transformation effort is the Shared Care Record, now moving into implementation following completed procurement. This will support integrated care by allowing clinicians access to records across different areas. Similarly, the National Vaccine and Immunisation System, evolving from COVAX, is progressing, with PCI vaccinations due in October. Legacy projects continue to evolve, notably NIMIS (National Integrated Medical Imaging System), which is integrating with Agfa databases and extending into private facilities, and MedLIS, with further rollout including Navan and Connolly Hospitals, and a new hematology module at Beaumont.

The NCIS (National Cancer Information System), now live in 21 of 26 cancer care sites, is scheduled for expansion to Cork, Tallaght, and Waterford. The Newborn and Maternal system is set to go live in Limerick and the Coombe Hospital, despite slight delays.

Other key programmes mentioned include ODTI (Organ Donation Transplant Ireland), a new opt-out registry, and the EHR programme (Electronic Health Record), Ireland’s largest digital health initiative, which has completed its business case and is entering procurement.

Fran also acknowledged strategic leadership changes and expressed gratitude to colleagues who will be retiring namely Michael Redmond, Fergus Murray and Julie Bellew.

As the year progresses, the emphasis remains on delivery, collaboration, and sustaining digital transformation across the health system.

Watch Fran's full update