Sláintecare provides us with an unprecedented opportunity for the realisation of real and sustained improvement in the provision of healthcare to all citizens.

There is much to celebrate about our health system. Patient outcomes are improving, our life expectancy is above the EU average and patient experiences are generally good. More than 80% of patients reported good or very good experiences of their stay in hospital in 2017.2 Mortality rates for heart attack have decreased by 42% over the last ten years. Our cancer survival rates for breast and colorectal cancer compare favourably against other OECD countries and rates of MRSA have fallen by 66% since 20063. Significant progress is being made in addressing risk factors such as smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. These positive outcomes have been driven by proactive national strategies and initiatives, (including the Healthy Ireland Framework and the National Cancer Strategy), and innovation and improvement at service level.

The strategy and approach is rooted in the overarching Sláintecare vision of a reorientation of the health service towards a high quality integrated system, providing care on the basis of need, and not ability to pay, where the vast majority of care takes place in primary and community care settings.