HSE sets sights on seven-day care and smarter diagnostics in new three-year plan

The HSE’s latest corporate plan signals a shift toward extended service hours, smarter diagnostics, and digital-first healthcare. Promising a more coordinated, patient-centred system, the plan outlines increased seven-day access to services and a push to eliminate unnecessary diagnostics that drain both budgets and patient time.

Backed by international evidence showing up to 30% of care may be ineffective or redundant, the HSE aims to streamline clinical pathways in key areas like cancer, mental health, and disability care. Plans also include expanding acute and community capacity, rolling out six new surgical hubs, and building out digital tools like electronic health records and a revamped HSE app for patient self-management.

While ambitious in scope, the plan also hints at uncertainty, particularly around the long-delayed elective hospitals in Dublin, Cork and Galway. Still, it marks a definitive pivot toward a more localised, integrated, and tech-driven healthcare model.

Explore the full strategy shaping Ireland’s next phase of healthcare transformation.