Mater hospital forced to cancel some surgeries due to ongoing IT problems

Issues affecting the Mater’s IT system are not as a result of any malicious attack

The Mater Misericordiae University Hospital in Dublin said a small number of surgical cases have had to be deferred as a result of the IT glitch. Photograph: Gareth Chaney/Collins Photos

The Mater Misericordiae University Hospital in Dublin said it is continuing to experience IT issues which are preventing it from accessing patient’s health records.

In a statement on Wednesday, the hospital said “a small number of surgical cases have had to be deferred today” as a result of the IT glitch.

Patients impacted have been contacted directly to let them know, the statement said.

The hospital plans to reschedule these surgeries in the coming days.

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It is understood that the issues affecting the Mater’s IT system are not as a result of any malicious attack.

The hospital apologised “for any inconvenience this causes to the public” and added that the hospital is doing “everything it can to rectify the issue as quickly as possible”.

Unless patients have been contacted by the Mater to say their surgeries have been affected, they should turn up as scheduled, the hospital said.

All other outpatient appointments are unaffected and patients should attend as anticipated.

The hospital also appealed to the public, where possible, to avoid its emergency department.

“The systems issue means that patients who present to the ED with non-urgent conditions are likely to experience lengthy waiting times to be seen,” the statement said.

The Mater’s Rapid Injury Clinic in Smithfield also remains closed.

The hospital advised patients with non-emergency conditions to seek assistance from “other parts of the health service such as other minor injury units or their GP”.

However, any patient who is in need of emergency hospital care “will be seen” and the Mater urged such patients not to delay and to seek such care.

Jade Wilson

Jade Wilson

Jade Wilson is a reporter for The Irish Times