‘Action is needed’ on heart care variations

Two sister hospitals in neighbouring counties have emerged as having the country’s best and worst death rates for heart attack patients in their care.

The Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise, Co Laois, has a mortality rate of 3.84% while the Midland Regional Hospital, Tullamore, Co Offaly, has a rate of 11.96% — three times higher.

Nationally, the average rate is 6.68%, but there are many variations, with the best being Portlaoise, The Mater in Dublin (3.96%), and Kerry General (4.12%), and the worst being Tullamore, Cavan General (10.36%), and the Midland Regional, Mullingar (8.88%).