Sinn Féin spokesperson on Mental Health, Mark Ward TD, has welcomed the introduction of IT system at the National Forensic Mental Health Service.
Teachta Ward was speaking following the launch of the system, TrakCare, in the National Forensic Mental Health Service earlier this week and called for a further rollout across other mental health services.
Teachta Ward said:
“It is really welcome that TrakCare has been launched in the National Forensic Mental Health Service in Portrane.
“This will allow for patient care plans to be delivered electronically and patient records to be maintained in a clear fashion.
“This will allow a better standard of care to be delivered and for easier cooperation between multidisciplinary teams.
“It is a long time coming that we move away from the archaic system of paper files, something that has been highlighted as causing issues within a number of HSE reviews, including the Maskey Review and the Mental Health Commission’s review into CAMHS.
“I have written to the Minister for Health to ask if they will consider a wider rollout of this system into other mental health services, so that a linkup between primary care and specialist services can ensure that we have better integration of services.
“We need a mental health service that is suitable for the 21st century and we need to ensure that IT systems are rolled out across the state to improve service delivery and the delivery of care.”
