FEWER PATIENTS ARE dying in Irish hospitals from major conditions such as heart attack and stroke.

That’s according to a new national report from the National Office of Clinical Audit (NOCA), which examined outcomes in 44 acute hospitals across the country.

It found clear improvements over the past decade, particularly for life-threatening conditions where fast treatment makes the difference.

Deaths following a heart attack have dropped from 58 per 1,000 hospital discharges in 2014 to 47 in 2023.

Mortality from heart failure has also improved, down from 82 to 72 per 1,000.

Stroke care shows the biggest gains. The number of patients dying after an ischaemic stroke (when blood flow is blocked to the brain) has fallen by 42 per cent since 2014.

While more people are being admitted with stroke, survival rates have improved. Deaths from haemorrhagic stroke have also declined, with a steady fall since 2017.

For Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), a group of lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties, and pneumonia, the report notes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mortality rose sharply during the worst years but has since returned to pre-pandemic levels.

In 2023, 38 people per 1,000 hospitalised with COPD died, compared with 37 in 2014.

Deaths from pneumonia, which peaked at 140 per 1,000 during 2021, dropped to 100 last year.

Overall hospital mortality followed a similar pattern, falling steadily until 2019, rising during the pandemic, and now trending down again.

The report also raises questions about health inequalities. A first attempt to link outcomes with factors such as age, sex and medical card status suggests gaps may exist, although more detailed data will be needed to fully understand them.

Dr Brian Creedon, NOCA’s Clinical Director, said the audit is helping hospitals target improvements.

“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,” he said.

HSE Chief Clinical Officer, Colm Henry, described the findings as proof that time-critical interventions “are saving lives”.