An initiative of the RCSI National Clinical Programme for Cardiothoracic Surgery to reduce inpatient waiting times and drive improvements in outcomes for patients requiring specific cardiac and thoracic procedures has been awarded HSE Spark Innovation funding,

The funding will enable the RCSI National Clinical Programme to work with the four cardiac and five thoracic units in Dublin, Cork and Galway, to design and implement an innovative, patient-centred National Digital Cardiothoracic Surgery Dashboard.

The new dashboard will enable efficient management of patient flow and streamlined care pathways by offering cardiothoracic surgeons shared visibility of specific inpatients awaiting surgery and the capability to self-assign cases. It will be implemented initially in the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, and rolled out to the other cardiothoracic surgery units in due course.

The concept is widely supported across the cardiothoracic surgery community with six consultant surgeons contributing their 2025 Spark Consultant Innovation Funds for the project.

Professor Mark Redmond, Clinical Lead for the RCSI NCP Cardiothoracic Surgery, said: “By helping to reduce inpatient waiting times, this dashboard will help enhance experience and outcomes for patients. It will also offer significant opportunities for cost savings for the health service, in particular by facilitating optimal utilisation of theatre capacity and fewer inpatient bed days. The concept is scalable and has potential to serve as a model for other clinical specialties”.

The project is fully aligned with the RCSI National Clinical Programme’s goals to design a national network for cardiothoracic surgery, centred on bi-directional transfer of cases between CTS units, and to enhance collaboration across the specialty. It is also aligned to the DOH/HSE Digital Health Framework and the priorities of national health strategies, including Sláintecare.

Spark Consultant Innovation Funding enables consultants to drive innovative research and innovation projects. All consultants who are contracted under the 'public only consultant’s contract' are entitled to access the fund.

The National Clinical Programme for Cardiothoracic Surgery is a strategic initiative between the HSE and RCSI. It aims to design and implement change initiatives to improve and standardise the quality of care and access for all patients in a cost-effective manner.

Learn more about the programme here.