As part of the HSE’s commitment to improve access to scheduled care services, a Modernised Care Pathways implementation workshop took place at the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland (RCSI) in May.

The event, ‘Future of Integrated Care in Ireland: Modernised Care Pathways Implementation Workshop’, provided an opportunity for peer-to-peer engagement and for those responsible for the implementation of the new pathways to gather and share their experiences, knowledge and lessons learned.

There are 36 modernised care pathways across 15 specialties that have been approved for roll-out this year. The phased implementation of these pathways has already commenced, with priority focus on specialties with the most significant waiting lists. The first priority will be on developing virtual fracture clinics, localised integrated eye care teams and community-based multidisciplinary urology teams.

Deirdre McNamara, Director Strategic Programmes, HSE, said: “We were delighted to hold this event to share the excellent work of various sites across the country who have already been able to demonstrate proof-of-concept of some of the modernised care pathways. The event was an opportunity for colleagues to learn from each other about the significant outcomes achieved to date. The overwhelmingly positive response we had to this event is a testament to the commitment of healthcare professionals and the service at large to embrace new modalities in integrated care.”

Dr Colm Henry, Chief Clinical Officer (CCO), HSE, added: “Modernised care pathways are a key milestone in healthcare reform. Designed by our National Clinical Programmes, the pathways will broaden the points of access to healthcare, ensuring that patients are seen earlier and progress through a simplified journey towards definitive treatment, often within the community alone. The pathways are consistent with Sláintecare principles, ensuring patients are seen in a more timely manner and by a healthcare team that transcends hospital-community barriers.”

Learn more about Modernised Care Pathways

A previous version of this article contained a quote incorrectly attributed to our colleague, Audrey Butler, Orthopaedic Clinical Nurse Specialist, and we’d like to apologise for this error.