Very few private doctors are making use of the system to access patient files at hospital, according to Labour spokesman Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca.

She said the electronic system, My Health, was not practical. “The Labour Party agreed with this system but had warned its implementation was wrong,” she said.

The government rebutted the criticism, insisting the system was practical but the Health Ministry could not say how many doctors were using it.

Mrs Coleiro Preca also hit out at what she termed as the frustration caused to family doctors when they referred patients to the diabetes clinic and were then given an appointment for a year later.

A day earlier, during a press conference on primary health care, the Health Ministry had praised the system by which family doctors were given more say in referring patients to hospital consultants.

In a tit-for-tat, the ministry accused the opposition of not knowing the distinction between primary health care services and those offered at Mater Dei Hospital.

Mrs Coleiro Preca said the continued use of health centres that provided the first line of medical treatment in the community confirmed how wise the Labour governments of the 1970s were when they started the system.

She complained though that the promised work to upgrade the Cospicua and Mosta health centres had not materialised.

The ministry, however, said €1 million were being invested in the Mosta and Rabat health centres.