HSE deserves credit for chronic disease management plan

A chara, – Further to “Community care programme leading to ‘very significant’ improvements in waiting lists” (News, May 7th), the HSE should rightly be congratulated for the efforts and input of the chronic disease management programme in reducing waiting lists and admissions to hospital.

What is more interesting is the data behind the figures. Frequently we hear of the lack of discharges from hospitals at the weekends. Long laid at the feet of the consultants, who are derided for not working at weekends, it seems that there may be a correlation between increasing supports in the community and reducing the need for a hospital stay.

It is certainly possible that it is despite working at weekends, discharges were delayed and admissions were necessary because the facilities and resources to expedite discharge and care in the community weren’t previously maximised or appreciated.

One must also wonder about the reduction in chronic disease admissions between 2019 and 2023. It could perhaps be considered that a reduction in admissions due to chronic disease could also perhaps be confounded by a diagnosis of Covid-19 on admission, rather than a diagnosis of a chronic illness and one would need to delve further into the granular detail to reach a conclusion that the enhanced community care programme is in fact as significant as claimed.