Transforming Laboratory Services: MedLIS - improving clinical care and reducing testing times for patients

Laboratory services play a crucial role in the HSE, supporting patient care through diagnostics, monitoring, and screening that keep healthcare running smoothly across both hospital and community settings.

To build on this essential work, the HSE is rolling out MedLIS, a new national laboratory information system that will standardise and streamline how patient tests are managed throughout Ireland. By bringing all test results together in a single system and improving how samples are tracked, MedLIS will make it faster and easier for healthcare professionals to order tests and view results.

For patients, this means safer, more efficient care. For clinicians, it means 24/7 access to a complete laboratory history for each patient, no matter where they are in the country. This patient-focused approach ensures that vital information is always readily available to support timely, informed decisions.

MedLIS is being introduced in phases, ultimately linking 43 hospital laboratories across Ireland into one integrated network. It’s supported by a dedicated service desk that operates every day of the year, with experts on hand to resolve issues quickly and keep services running smoothly.

Among its many improvements, MedLIS allows GPs to order tests directly from their own practice systems, reducing paperwork and the risk of errors. Hospitals already using MedLIS are seeing significant benefits, replacing outdated systems with a modern platform that helps manage growing workloads, supports safer processes, and improves the overall quality of laboratory services.

Beaumont Hospital went live in August 2024, with Cavan and Monaghan Hospital following in October 2025. Other hospitals in the North East region will go live shortly after, with sites across the rest of the country to follow.

By the end of this rollout, due 2029, Ireland’s laboratory services will be connected in a way that ensures high-quality, reliable diagnostic information is always available—benefiting patients and healthcare teams alike.

To learn more, watch this short video on MedLIS developed by the T and T Communications team at the link below.