Sláintecare Programme for Government 2025+ Reforms
Key Questions
What is the Sláintecare Programme for Government 2025+?
It is Ireland's national plan titled 'Path to Universal' focused on improving access, elective care centres, and community-based services. The roadmap includes oversight bodies, digital records for children's mental health and disability services, assistive technology, and the Digital for Care 2030 framework incorporating AI and EHDS alignment. It ties into EHR rollout, workforce issues, and equity goals.
How does Sláintecare address digital health reforms?
It promotes digital pathways, community records, and assistive tech under the Digital Health Framework while advancing electronic prescriptions and e-controlled drug registers. Events by eHealth Ireland support innovation, though financial pressures and IFMS difficulties in HSE regions pose implementation challenges. The plan also links to Tierney's EHR and AI Bill initiatives.
What workforce issues could impact Sláintecare goals?
HSE briefing notes highlight waiting list stagnation and CAMHS gaps that digital reforms aim to resolve. Northern Ireland doctors' upcoming strikes over pay signal cross-border workforce crises that may worsen Irish staffing shortages. The general practice workforce crisis across Europe further underscores risks to achieving universal access targets.
National Plan ('Path to Universal') for access/ECC; Roadmap/ICCMS/SIIF/STIO oversight community records (HSE kids' mental/disability/primary care record June tool)/Digital for Care 2030 assistive tech/digital pathways/Healthy Communities/Digital Health Framework/AI/EHDS; All Ireland Integrated Care Conf 2026 on governance/scale; HCD/equity/Deloitte; ties Tierney/EHR/AI/Bill/burnout/IMO HSE warnings. HSE briefing notes reveal waiting list stagnation and CAMHS gaps, underscoring need for Sláintecare digital reforms. eHealth Ireland ecosystem events support digital innovation/collaboration. Recent HSE regional updates highlight IFMS difficulties and financial pressures that complicate digital reform implementation. New legislation for electronic prescription retention and e-controlled drug registers advances digital health in community pharmacy, aligning with Sláintecare's digital health push. New: Northern Ireland doctors strike over pay signals cross-border workforce crisis that could exacerbate Irish staffing shortages and undermine Sláintecare's universal access goals.