Building a Data-Driven Health Service: Reflections from My First Months as Chief Data and Analytics Officer
By Tom Laffan, Chief Data and Analytics Officer
Earlier this year, I stepped into the role of Chief Data and Analytics Officer—the first time this role has existed within the HSE. It’s a privilege, and one I take very seriously.
I’ve been with the HSE since 2001. Over that time, I’ve had the opportunity to work across many teams and programmes, from early digital messaging projects to pandemic data dashboards. My background is in applied computing, and I’ve worked across sectors like healthcare and banking, but I’ve always been drawn to the work that supports patients and public services.
This new role is a milestone—not just for me, but for the organisation. It reflects the value we’re now placing on data, and how central it is to the future of our health system.
Data That Delivers Better Care
For me, data has never been just about reporting or systems. It’s about care. It’s about people.
Good data helps us deliver safer, more informed, more connected services. It gives clinicians timely insights. It helps service managers plan effectively. And it empowers patients with access to their own information.
But we also know our current environment is fragmented. We have paper records. We have disconnected digital tools. We have valuable data locked in silos. One of the big challenges ahead is building the systems, standards and structures that allow us to truly integrate care pathways and put the patient at the centre.
That’s where this role comes in. And that’s where the work we’re doing now—across regions, services and functions—starts to take shape.
Supporting Digital for Care 2030
Much of our work aligns directly with Digital for Care 2030. It’s a strategy that lays out a clear direction, and I’m proud that the Office of the CDAO is central to delivering on it.
Data is one of the core enablers of Digital for Care. My team is currently developing a national Data Strategy and a supporting Data Management Plan. Both will help us make better use of what we already have—and plan wisely for what comes next.
These aren’t documents we’re writing in isolation. We’ve already started wide engagement—clinicians, patient and service users, regional teams, the Department of Health, Health Research Board, and partners like Health Tech Ireland. Their insight is essential.
What Real-Time Data Can Do
The work of the Integrated Information Services (IIS) team during the pandemic was a powerful example of how data can help us respond quickly, transparently and effectively. We built on that work to launch the new HSE Health App, which is now providing patients with secure access to their own vaccination and maternity data—with more services coming soon. Real-time data isn’t just for crisis response. It’s for everyday care. It gives visibility to clinicians. It supports decisions in our hospitals and communities. And it can help us keep people well and out of acute settings when possible.
Securing Trust Through Governance
As someone who lived through the 2021 cyberattack alongside many of you, I understand the importance of trust and security when it comes to data. Since then, we’ve strengthened our security posture. We’ve enhanced our governance structures. And we’re continuing to roll out training across the health service to support data protection and best practice.
But governance isn’t just for CIOs or data leads—it’s for everyone. Clinicians, administrators, IT teams—we all have a responsibility. And we’re building the structures that make it easier for people to do the right thing with data, every time.
Artificial Intelligence: Promise and Guardrails
AI is already here. It’s in use in parts of radiology, diagnostics and beyond. But as we scale it, we must do so responsibly. AI falls under my remit, and we’ve now established an AI and Automation Centre of Excellence and an AI Implementation Working Group. We’re developing a national AI Strategy and Governance Framework, due mid-year. These will guide how we use AI safely, ethically and in line with the new EU AI Act.
We’re doing this collaboratively—with clinicians, technologists, data protection experts, industry, and patients themselves. The IPPOSI jurors report on AI is informing our approach, and we’re working closely with Health Tech Ireland and HIQA on what comes next.
This isn’t just about managing risk—it’s about unlocking opportunity. Used well, AI can support better outcomes, reduce clinical burden, and help us use our data more intelligently.
Investing in People and Data Literacy
Technology is only one part of the equation. If we want a truly data-driven culture, we need to support our people. That means training, clarity, and building confidence. We’re developing data literacy programmes across the service to help staff ask the right questions of the data they see. We want to foster a culture of curiosity—where someone spots a pattern, challenges an assumption, or digs deeper into a trend.
Because sometimes the most important insight comes from a person who takes a second look and asks: “Why?”
My Priorities for 2025
As I settle into the role, my focus for the months ahead includes:
- Finalising the Health Data Strategy and implementation plan
- Publishing AI Strategy and governance framework
- Strengthening collaboration with regions, REOs and clinical teams
- Building a stronger foundation for data integration
- Championing safe, secure and people-centred data use
- Continuing to grow our office and capacity for delivery
We’re not starting from scratch. The HSE has already made significant progress. But now is the time to join the dots and build something sustainable, inclusive and forward-looking.
How You Can Support
I often get asked: “What can staff or patients do to help this journey?”
My answer is simple: help us collect good data. When we ask for your PPSN or verify your information at the point of care—it’s not bureaucracy. It’s about creating an integrated care record that follows the patient across settings.
We’re asking for time, attention and care when entering data—and in return, we’re working to build systems that will give staff better tools and patients better outcomes.
If I look ahead 12 months from now, I hope to be able to say: this was the year we built the foundation for a health service that truly uses data to deliver better care.
And we’re just getting started.