The Healthlink Online system was established in 2003 and about 70% of GPs are using it to share information about patients with hospitals.

Prof Tom Keane, who heads the HSE’s National Control Programme, said the system would end the unnecessary delay caused by having to move patients’ paper records. In particular, the system allows GPs to provide more relevant information enabling the cancer teams to make a more informed decision.

The system also improves information quality; reduces the time taken to complete routine tasks; lowers administration costs, reduces telephone enquiries and should eliminate the problem of missing referral letters.

Prof Keane told RTÉ that the electronic referral service will be piloted in St James’s Hospital in Dublin for prostate and other urological cancers over the next few weeks, with the aim of extending it to all specialist cancer diagnosis and treatment centres over the next 12 to 18 months.

Prof Keane said the computerised system was pioneered by Dr Niall Tubridy at the neurology department at St Vincent’s Hospital. "I went out to see it and realised it could be adapted for cancer patients," he said.

It was hoped that the system that allowed for feedback from the consultant within 48 hours of seeing a patient would make referral easier. "It is very simple, very low cost and the technology is already in place," he said.

"I am hoping we can see this system running this year for a selected number of cancers," Prof Keane said.

Healthlink is also working with the National Cancer Registry to enable it to receive electronic laboratory results from hospitals.

The development will eliminate duplication and improve the efficiency of data transfer from hospitals to the registry.

Prof Keane said he was confident that funding would continue to be available next year to consolidate lung and prostate cancer services in eight specialist treatment centres.

"A lot of the changes we are making in terms of, let’s say, surgery for rectal cancer, is simply reducing the number of hospitals and consolidating the services, which are actually ways of saving money, rather than spending it."

Prof Keane refused to be drawn, however, when asked if doctors in Ireland were overpaid but agreed that, by international standards, they were very well paid.

The professor said his goal was to have Ireland’s cancer control strategy up-and-running by the time his contract with the HSE was up in November.