Martin Daly: GP TD warns hospitals lag in digitalisation
Martin Daly, a government TD for Fianna Fáil and a rural GP from County Galway, addressed the Health Committee on digitalisation, rural and mental health. He urged hospitals to match the high level of GP computerisation and flagged the need for amendments to the Mental Health Act.
Martin Daly described his clinical and representative experience: a rural GP, former president and four-year chairman of the Irish Medical Organisation, participant on negotiating teams for GP contracts since 1998, and involved in the Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine with the Royal College of Surgeons and Physicians in Ireland. He noted previous board service and two terms as treasurer and identified rural health and mental health as his primary interests.
He told the committee that general practitioner services are largely digitalised, with 98% uptake of computerisation and paperless records following the 2019 chronic disease management systems introduced during COVID. Daly argued that hospitals lag behind, describing a situation where GP referral letters are still printed in hard copy and physically delivered within hospitals, despite Ireland being seen as an international hub for IT.
Daly emphasised that digitalisation supports equitable access to care - access based on need rather than ability to pay - and called for hospital systems to catch up with community and GP IT systems to ensure fair and efficient patient care.
He said there will be substantial work on amendments to the Mental Health Act and stressed the importance of addressing those changes through the committee's process.
Daly congratulated the chair on their appointment, expressed pleasure at joining the Health Committee and described himself as a team player willing to work with colleagues, including the neighbouring deputy, to progress committee business.
Professional background
Martin Daly described his clinical and representative experience: a rural GP, former president and four-year chairman of the Irish Medical Organisation, participant on negotiating teams for GP contracts since 1998, and involved in the Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine with the Royal College of Surgeons and Physicians in Ireland. He noted previous board service and two terms as treasurer and identified rural health and mental health as his primary interests.
Digitalisation gap between primary care and hospitals
He told the committee that general practitioner services are largely digitalised, with 98% uptake of computerisation and paperless records following the 2019 chronic disease management systems introduced during COVID. Daly argued that hospitals lag behind, describing a situation where GP referral letters are still printed in hard copy and physically delivered within hospitals, despite Ireland being seen as an international hub for IT.
Equity and access to health services
Daly emphasised that digitalisation supports equitable access to care - access based on need rather than ability to pay - and called for hospital systems to catch up with community and GP IT systems to ensure fair and efficient patient care.
Mental health legislation
He said there will be substantial work on amendments to the Mental Health Act and stressed the importance of addressing those changes through the committee's process.
Committee role and approach
Daly congratulated the chair on their appointment, expressed pleasure at joining the Health Committee and described himself as a team player willing to work with colleagues, including the neighbouring deputy, to progress committee business.
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Transcript
Martin Daly is my name. I'm a government TD for Fianna Fáil, first-time TD. I'm a GP by profession, a rural GP from Ballygaron, County Galway. I have been involved in medical politics for about 25, 30 years now. I was president of the Irish Medical Organization chairman for four years as well. I was on the negotiating teams for, I would say, every GP contract negotiation since 1998. I'm also involved in the Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine with the Royal College of Surgeons and Physicians in Ireland. I've served on the board for two occasions. I've been treasurer twice. My interests lie really around rural health, mental health. I know that you've indicated that we will have a job of work to do dealing with amendments around the Mental Health Act. I think that's really important to tease that through here. I agree with Deputy Colin Burke about the digitalisation of our health services is vitally important. We are seen as an international hub for IT, and yet our hospital system, and in particular it's our hospital system, less our community system. Our general practitioner services are 98% computerised, fully computerised, paperless. Since the introduction of the chronic disease management systems in 2019 negotiated and brought in during COVID, hugely successful. It's contingent on GPs being computerised. So there's a 98% uptake there. So we have a situation, and I agree, where GPs are sending in referral letters to hospitals. They're being printed off in hard copy, and someone is running around the hospital delivering them to people. So that is also equitable access to health services based on need and not on the ability to pay, and that should be the absolute bedrock of any health service in Ireland. I don't want to hog time here, but I'm delighted to be part of the Health Committee here. I congratulate you on your appointment as Chair, and I am, as my next-door neighbour here, Deputy Roach. I'm a team player, and I'd be happy to work with anyone to progress matters at this committee. Thank you.