IrelandHealth Information Act 2026 Sections 10, 12 and 19 to 22, Electronic Health Record, Personal Public Service Number and Data Requests by the Health Service Executive
Health Information Act 2026 (No. 10 of 2026), ss. 10, 12, 19-22
In force since .
A sensitive categories rule binding public and private bodies.
- Obligation class
- Governance, Disclosure, Reporting
As of .
What it requires
- If you are a health services provider in Ireland, record each patient's personal public service number and associate it with any record you make about the health service you provide to that patient, and do not refuse a service solely because the patient has no number or cannot provide it (Health Information Act 2026 Section 12).
- Do not refuse a health service to a patient solely because the patient has not been assigned an Electronic Health Record (Section 10, paragraph 3).
- If the Health Service Executive requests, in writing, the classes of personal health data it specifies for the Electronic Health Record, provide them in the digital format and within the period the request sets (Section 19, paragraphs 3 and 4).
- If the Executive requests health information from you as a relevant person, provide the classes it specifies (Section 22, paragraph 1).
What this law does
The Health Service Executive may create and assign to every patient a national Electronic Health Record, to support the sharing of personal health data for patient care and treatment. Before it creates and assigns Electronic Health Records, the Executive must carry out a data protection impact assessment, having regard to the views of patients and patient representative groups.
A patient may not be refused a health service solely because the patient has not been assigned an Electronic Health Record. A health services provider must record the personal public service number of each of its patients and associate it with any record it makes about providing a health service to that patient. A health services provider may not refuse a health service to a patient solely because the patient has no personal public service number or cannot provide it.
The Executive may request a health services provider to provide the classes of personal health data that it specifies for the Electronic Health Record. A health services provider must comply with such a request. If a provider does not comply, the Executive may issue a notice that allows at least one month to comply, and then apply to the Circuit Court. The Executive may also request a relevant person to provide the classes of health information that it specifies.
When LexLint raises it
When your app profile says your app handles health records.