In-hospital deaths for heart attacks, heart failure, stroke and pneumonia have all decreased, according to the latest reports for 2022 and 2023.
The data is contained in the National Audit of Hospital Mortality reports, published by the HSE's National Office of Clinical Audit.
It says that in-hospital mortality for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) increased during the Covid-19 pandemic, but has returned to pre-pandemic levels.
The rate in 2023 stood at 38 deaths per 1,000 discharges.
The in-hospital mortality rate for heart attack reduced to 47 per 1,000 discharges in 2023, compared to 58 in 2014.
The in-hospital mortality rate for heart failure declined significantly from 82 deaths per 1,000 discharges in 2014, to 72 per 1,000 discharges in 2023.
While the number of hospital admissions for ischaemic stroke continues to rise, with the ageing population, mortality in patients with ischaemic stroke reduced significantly to 63 per 1,000 in 2023.
Deaths from haemorrhagic stroke also show a significant downward trend, the report says.
Overall crude in-hospital mortality rates for all diagnoses rose during the major Covid-19 waves of 2020 and 2021 and declined by 2023.
The total number of hospital discharges has now returned to pre-Covid-19 levels.
NOCA says it plans further work to explore these patterns in greater detail, including analysis of 2024 and 2025 data.
Colm Henry, HSE Chief Clinical Officer, said the significant reductions in mortality for conditions like stroke and heart attacks demonstrate a clear trend, that active, time-critical interventions are saving lives.
Dr Brian Creedon, Clinical Director of the National Office of Clinical Audit, said the report demonstrates how national audit continues to support improvements in patient care by providing robust, transparent data.
He said there is still work to do to address variations, enhance data quality and develop the understanding of potential inequalities.
