Vol. 524 No. 2
279 Dr. O'Hanlon asked the Minister for Health and Children the schemes and supports available from his Department or agencies under the aegis of his Department to schools, businesses, community groups and individuals, to promote information technology including (i) greater awareness of relevance, (ii) to develop skills and (iii) have access to computers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22100/00]
My Department is providing funding for IT developments to health agencies under the national development plan to an amount of approximately £145 million over the period 2000-06. This includes training costs for health agency personnel who will be using the various IT systems involved. In addition, my Department provides support for information technology for general practitioners and for community pharmacists.
The National GP IT Group, which was established by my Department in 1997 to promote the computerisation of general practice medicine, has launched a pilot national GP IT training programme involving approximately 270 GP doctors. The primary focus of the programme is on implementing computerisation within the practice. The group also maintains a web site which functions as an information resource for general practice and contains an extensive range of links to other relevant sites.
Community pharmacists are supported in undertaking agreed upgrading of equipment for the purposes of improving IT and telematic linkages with health boards and the GMS (payments) board and facilitating better accountability arrangements.
The health agencies undertake a range of measures to promote and support the use of information technology among their staff and client populations. These measures are supported from the IT and other programme related funding provided by my Department and through participation in a wide range of initiatives supported by the European Union. Major agencies maintain web sites containing details on matters such as the services provided, latest developments and health promotion/advice. Persons with disabilities are facilitated in the use of information technology as part of the range of vocational training and day services provided by the health boards and specialist voluntary hospitals and other agencies. Support is provided to local community groups for the purchase of computer equipment, IT awareness and development skills and training for their members-service users.
Information technology is increasingly being used to optimise health services delivery with a particular emphasis towards people who are isolated due to social and physical boundaries and limitations; that is an interactive school access initiative has recently been launched in the Southern Health Board for children who have to spend long periods in hospital, enabling them to attend their normal classroom. The student who is a patient can see and interact with their normal teacher and fellow classmates and be seen and heard by them.
