The verdict in three sentences
A patient and referrer portal for a private diagnostic imaging centre in Dublin, covering online booking, referral intake and report delivery, is usually quoted at EUR 18 000 to 70 000 excl. VAT in 2026 (estimate). The real gap between quotes lies in what is missing: PACS and RIS integration (EUR 4 000 to 18 000), GP referral messaging, EU hosted health data infrastructure and per seat licences. Insist on a three year total cost and on ownership of the bespoke code before you sign.
Seven traps, quote line by quote line
A Dublin centre running about 220 scans a day handles referrals from GPs, consultants and HSE pathways, plus self pay and insured patients. Every trap below starts from typical quote wording and ends with the clause that protects you.
| Typical quote line | Hidden 2026 cost | Clause to demand |
|---|---|---|
| 'PACS/RIS integration: subject to discovery' | EUR 4 000 to 18 000 | Fixed price, named HL7 or DICOM interfaces |
| 'GP referrals by email or upload' | Manual triage, 1 to 2 FTE | Integration with national secure GP messaging, priced upfront |
| 'Hosting included in year one' | EUR 300 to 1 500 per month afterwards | 36 month hosting price, EU data residency stated |
| 'User licence: EUR 50 per seat' | EUR 1 750 per month for 35 seats | Site licence or seat cap |
| 'Licence to use granted' | Full rebuild if you leave | Assignment of rights in bespoke code |
| 'Change requests at day rate' | EUR 700 to 1 000 per day | Annual bundle of included days |
| 'Data protection: client responsibility' | DPIA consultancy, EUR 3 000 to 8 000 | Vendor support for the DPIA and a signed processing agreement |
The heaviest traps are the licence model and data protection. Health data is special category data under GDPR, so your centre needs a Data Protection Impact Assessment, a processor agreement and clear retention rules that the Data Protection Commission could audit. A quote that leaves all of this to you is incomplete.
What a complete quote looks like
Two quotes for the same scope, compared over three years, excl. VAT, 2026 estimates.
| Item | Quote A 'cheap' | Quote B 'complete' |
|---|---|---|
| Portal build | EUR 26 000 | EUR 44 000 |
| PACS and RIS integration | Not priced, EUR 14 000 billed later | EUR 10 000 included |
| EU hosting over 36 months | Year 1 free, then EUR 1 000 per month: EUR 24 000 | EUR 550 per month: EUR 19 800 |
| Licences, 35 seats over 36 months | EUR 50 per seat: EUR 63 000 | Site licence: EUR 0 |
| Maintenance over 36 months | Day rate, about EUR 10 000 | EUR 700 per month: EUR 25 200 |
| Code ownership | No | Yes, bespoke code assigned |
| Three year total | EUR 137 000 | EUR 99 000 |
Quote A looks EUR 18 000 cheaper at signature and costs EUR 38 000 more over three years, while leaving you dependent on one vendor.
How to compare quotes in one hour
Send every bidder the same grid: build cost, PACS and RIS interfaces, referral messaging, monthly hosting with data location, licences, maintenance, included change days, code ownership and timeline (often 3 to 6 months for this scope). Treat every empty cell as a future invoice. Require acceptance testing on 200 anonymised real bookings and 50 referrals before go live.
Mini case study
Illustrative example, not a real client: Aoife runs a private imaging centre in south Dublin with MRI, CT and ultrasound, 35 workstations and 220 scans a day. She receives quotes at EUR 28 000 and EUR 47 000 excl. VAT.
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Applying the grid, the first adds EUR 12 000 of integration, 35 seats at EUR 45 per month (EUR 56 700 over three years) and hosting at EUR 900 per month after year one (EUR 21 600): EUR 118 300 over three years. The second includes integration, a site licence and hosting at EUR 600 per month (EUR 21 600): EUR 68 600 over three years, maintenance included. Aoife picks the second, saves EUR 49 700 and owns the code. If online booking removes 20 phone calls of 3 minutes a day, reception also gains about 250 hours a year.
FAQ
How much does an imaging centre portal cost in Dublin in 2026?
Expect EUR 18 000 to 70 000 excl. VAT for the build, depending on scope (2026 estimate). Add EUR 4 000 to 18 000 for PACS and RIS integration and EUR 300 to 1 500 a month for compliant hosting.
Does health data have to stay in the EU?
GDPR does not strictly ban transfers, but most Irish healthcare buyers require EU data residency to keep the DPIA simple. EU hosting with redundancy typically costs EUR 300 to 1 500 a month.
Should we accept per seat licences?
Only with a cap. On a bespoke build, a site licence or code assignment avoids EUR 20 to 80 per seat per month, which for 35 seats can reach EUR 33 600 a year.
Does the portal replace our RIS or PACS?
No. The RIS stays the source of bookings and reports, the PACS the source of images, and the portal exposes them through interfaces costing EUR 4 000 to 18 000.
How long does delivery take?
For a centre running around 220 scans a day, plan 3 to 6 months from signature to go live. Reserve the last 4 to 6 weeks for integration testing and the DPIA sign off.
Let's scope your project. Send us your quotes or your brief and we will rebuild the three year cost, flag missing lines and propose a priced scope with a timeline. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
