A group of consultant clinical microbiologists have formally requested the HSE to pause the national roll-out of the clinical microbiology component of the MedLIS system, the Medical Independent (MI) has learned.
In a letter to HSE Dublin North East Regional Executive Officer Ms Sara Long, seen by MI, consultant microbiologists from Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, and Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, warned that the clinical microbiology module “represents such a significant clinical risk” that it should not proceed until essential improvements are delivered.
The letter, which was sent on 26 August 2025, cited patient safety issues and system failures at its only deployment site to date – Beaumont Hospital, Dublin.
However, the HSE plans to expand MedLIS, despite ongoing problems at Beaumont, where the system launched in August 2024.
The consultants outlined critical functionality failures affecting patient care.
Key clinical tasks – collating patient results, reviewing previous results, and interpreting ongoing laboratory analysis – take an estimated four or five times longer on MedLIS compared to existing systems, according to the letter.
The microbiologists also warned of the “loss of local laboratory autonomy and delays” in implementing local changes. MedLIS cannot meet current or future surveillance needs, with routine data extraction for local audit, infection surveillance, and research described as “time-consuming, complex, and inefficient”, they added.
The letter also highlights “a lack of clarity with regard to clinical governance, responsibility, and membership of the clinical advisory board for the clinical microbiology” module as MedLIS expands
beyond Beaumont.
Concerns had already been escalated to Dr Colm Henry, HSE Chief Clinical Officer through the Irish Society of Clinical Microbiologists (ISCM) earlier in August. Following a meeting on 8 August between ISCM representatives, Dr Henry, and Prof Martin Cormican, HSE Clinical Lead for Laboratory Services Reform Programme, the HSE committed to establishing a forum consisting of MedLIS representatives and the ISCM to address clinical risks.
The HSE also committed not to roll out proposals where the ISCM had identified specific safety concerns.
“It is our understanding that a significant rebuild of this existing clinical microbiology module is now planned by the MedLIS team,” the letter states. “This is a clear acknowledgement of its current failings.”
MI contacted the HSE for comment, but had not received a response at the time
of going to press.
The MedLIS project, which commenced in 2015, aims to establish a fully integrated, nationwide laboratory information system, enabling access to a patient’s complete diagnostic data. It is intended that clinicians and other healthcare providers will have 24/7 access to comprehensive laboratory information for each patient.
The current focus is on the north-east region. Ultimately, the HSE intends for MedLIS to be implemented in every HSE-funded laboratory, with a target of full deployment across 43 hospitals by 2029. However, the roll-out has faced significant delays and strong opposition. Many consultants and medical scientists argue that the system is deeply flawed and not fit-for-purpose.
As MI previously reported, €24.3 million has been spent on the implementation of MedLIS over the past decade.
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