Drop in hospital mortality rates for heart and stroke conditions

The proportion of patients dying in hospital due to stroke or heart conditions fell significantly in the ten years to 2023, a new clinical audit has revealed. However, overall mortality rates for these illnesses rose during the pandemic, and in 2023 remained above pre-Covid levels. Between 2014 and 2023, the in-hospital mortality rate for patients with ischaemic stroke fell by 42 per cent, from 109 deaths per 1,000 discharges to 63 per 1,000. However, the number of hospital admissions for ischaemic stroke continues to rise, in line with Ireland’s ageing population. Patients with haemorrhagic stroke saw a smaller decline of…