Healthcare watchdog calls for unique patient identity numbers

EVERYONE in Ireland should have a unique patient identification number so they get the safest health care possible, the State’s health services watchdog has urged.

The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has called for the immediate introduction of new health identification numbers to reduce medical error, simplify the use of electronic medical records and increase efficiency.

Currently, there is no reliable method of tracking a patient through the healthcare system, with services relying on matching names, addresses and birth dates, none of which are reliable or recorded in a standard format.