Tallaght University Hospital wins HSE Bright Spark Award

A TALLAGHT University Hospital (TUH) project focusing on the management of headache patients attending the emergency department, leading to savings of €240,867, won an award last month.

Titled ‘Optimising the management of headache patients attending emergency department to avoid hospital admission’, the project was led by Dr Petya Bogdovana-Mihaylova.

The study reduced the need for hospital admissions for headache patients by developing a new pathway of care, focused on facilitating timely access to imaging and consultant neurologist reviews.

The project received the HSE Bright Spark Award for Best Admissions Avoidance Project and was one of 12 projects nationally recognised at the HSE’s Spark Innovation Summit.

From the initial €25,000 Spark funding to pilot the project, it has delivered €240,867 in savings and avoidance of up to 116 admissions between September 2022 and April 2023.

Jared Gormly, Head of the HSE Spark Innovation Programme, said: “The work of the HSE Spark Innovation Programme since its establishment in 2017 demonstrates the potential for regional innovation labs to transform Ireland’s healthcare system.

“Healthcare is facing multiple challenges, such as increasing costs, an ageing population, and evolving patient expectations.

“However, we know from our work over the past six years that supporting innovation in the health service leads to huge benefits.

“These include reduced waiting lists, reduced costs, better patient experience and enhanced job satisfaction for healthcare staff.

“With healthcare challenges, the more tailored a solution can be to the local context, the better.

“We are proposing that each regional health design and innovation lab will have the ability to gather insights about the needs of the population in its area; and can then develop solutions and generate new services that are accessible both in terms of proximity and through improved user-experience.”