Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 July 2021
2439. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Health the status of the recovery plan for HSE services and patients impacted by the cybersecurity incident; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28585/21]
View answerOn 23 March 2021 the HSE published the “Safe Return to Health Services ” Plan. This Plan provided an operational framework for the safe return to services in a COVID environment at a local level. It included an overview of the services to be resumed, the target for their safe return and some detail on the conditions and challenges that have to be met. It is important to emphasise that every phase was informed by clinical guidance and putting patient safety first.
Following an analysis of need, capacity and patient safety, and taking into account scenario models, the Plan outlined a phased approach for the proposed restoration of services across Community Services, Acute Operations, Cancer Services and Screening Services.
While much progress has been made on the Plan, health care services have also been impacted by the cyber-attack. The HSE has been working since 14 May last to recover the effects of the cyber attack on its systems. The attack had the impact of removing access to most patient and care systems as well as the central business systems of the HSE. Over the last weeks many of these systems have been recovered and services have recommenced. There was a priority focus on key systems in the hospital and community areas with a view to resuming vital services. Some of the key areas recovered included, radiotherapy, laboratory, imaging, pharmacy, mental health systems, email and patient administration systems.
At present most systems are operational and services are returning to normal activity. There is a challenge in back entering data and indeed loss of records at a time when the HSE was working mostly on paper based processes
As this Parliamentary Question also relates to operational issues, it is a matter for the HSE to reply. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.
