Health chiefs have yet to find a safe way to send out email notifications of appointments.

In Tynwald Health Minister David Ashford said the hospital patient administration system could send letters by email but, ’we have been advised consistently by the government technology service that the current method would pose a security risk’.

That risk was because an automated system could leave the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) open to other applications, he said, which could leave about 2,000 Health Department computers at risk.

He added: ’We continue to promote the text appointment reminder scheme, which is currently in use for all out-patient appointments and we are shortly extending this to radiology services too.’

He was responding to a question from Speaker Juan Watterson (Rushen), who wanted to know what progress had been made on an email appointment notification system, having first called for one four years ago.

Julie Edge (Onchan) asked, if an automated email system were introduced, how it would be monitored to ensure more appointments were not missed, especially through an ’email system that might not be reaching the people who perhaps have not got access’.

Mr Ashford said: ’From my point of view, any system, be it text reminder or other, has to be signed up to by the patient.

’You cannot go down the route of just saying everyone will receive it via email, via text.

’It is important we have that, so that people, if they do wish to receive post, will still receive it via post.’

In Tynwald Health Minister David Ashford said the hospital patient administration system could send letters by email but, ’we have been advised consistently by the government technology service that the current method would pose a security risk’.

That risk was because an automated system could leave the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) open to other applications, he said, which could leave about 2,000 Health Department computers at risk.

He added: ’We continue to promote the text appointment reminder scheme, which is currently in use for all out-patient appointments and we are shortly extending this to radiology services too.’

He was responding to a question from Speaker Juan Watterson (Rushen), who wanted to know what progress had been made on an email appointment notification system, having first called for one four years ago.

Julie Edge (Onchan) asked, if an automated email system were introduced, how it would be monitored to ensure more appointments were not missed, especially through an ’email system that might not be reaching the people who perhaps have not got access’.

Mr Ashford said: ’From my point of view, any system, be it text reminder or other, has to be signed up to by the patient.

’You cannot go down the route of just saying everyone will receive it via email, via text.

’It is important we have that, so that people, if they do wish to receive post, will still receive it via post.’