Irish hospitals have achieved substantial reductions in mortality rates for major conditions including heart attack and stroke, according to a new national audit examining outcomes across 44 acute hospitals.
The National Office of Clinical Audit report reveals significant improvements in survival rates over the past decade, particularly for time-critical conditions where rapid treatment proves decisive.
Heart attack mortality has declined from 58 deaths per 1,000 hospital discharges in 2014 to 47 in 2023. Heart failure deaths have similarly improved, dropping from 82 to 72 per 1,000 discharges.
Stroke care shows the most dramatic progress, with deaths following ischaemic stroke – where blood flow to the brain is blocked – falling by 42% since 2014. Despite increasing stroke admissions, survival rates have consistently improved. Haemorrhagic stroke mortality has also declined steadily since 2017.
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted outcomes for respiratory conditions. Deaths from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease rose during the worst pandemic years but have returned to pre-2020 levels, with 38 deaths per 1,000 hospitalizations in 2023 compared to 37 in 2014.
Pneumonia mortality, which peaked at 140 per 1,000 during 2021, dropped to 100 last year. Overall hospital mortality followed similar patterns, declining until 2019, rising during the pandemic, and now trending downward again.
The report identified potential health inequalities by linking outcomes with factors including age, sex, and medical card status, though researchers note more detailed analysis is needed to understand these disparities fully.
Dr Brian Creedon, NOCA’s Clinical Director, acknowledged progress while noting ongoing challenges: “While it is encouraging to see progress for conditions like heart attack and stroke, there is still work to do to address variations, enhance data quality and develop our understanding of potential inequalities.”
HSE Chief Clinical Officer Colm Henry described the findings as evidence that time-critical interventions “are saving lives,” highlighting the value of targeted medical improvements in acute hospital settings.