HSE places IT chief on leave

A SENIOR HSE executive with responsibility for information technology has been placed on administrative leave, it has emerged.

Gerard Hurl, HSE national director for information and communications technology (ICT), had been placed on administrative leave following an internal inquiry.

A HSE spokesman said last night that, “Mr Fran Thompson was currently acting national director for ICT on a temporary basis while Mr Gerard Hurl was on leave”.

Mr Hurl has been national ICT director at the HSE for around 18 months. Mr Hurl has also been chairman of the Healthcare Informatics Society of Ireland. Informatics is the study of the application of computer and statistical techniques to the management of information.