Patients for Patient Safety Ireland has called for wider access to community-based Chronic Disease Management programmes, highlighting an opportunity to strengthen safer, integrated care for people living with non-communicable diseases.

The call was made on World Patient Safety Day, 17 September 2026, whose theme was safe care for non-communicable diseases. The World Health Organization’s 2026 campaign highlights the importance of safe care across prevention, diagnosis, treatment and long-term management.

Patients for Patient Safety Ireland is a patient-safety advocacy organisation focused on improving healthcare through patient involvement and safer systems. The group said its plan had received input from the Irish College of GPs, Irish Heart Foundation, Diabetes Ireland, Family Carers Ireland and the Irish Coalition for People Living with Obesity.

The Health & Safety opportunity is particularly relevant because chronic conditions require continuous care across multiple settings. Patients for Patient Safety is calling for wider access to structured reviews and community-based supports, including for people currently outside HSE Chronic Disease Management eligibility criteria. The group argues that earlier intervention and coordinated follow-up can support better health outcomes while reducing pressure on hospital services.

The proposals include adding obesity to the HSE Chronic Disease Management Programme, alongside full funding and nationwide rollout of the HSE Model of Care for the Management of Overweight and Obesity. The organisation is also calling for stronger mental health support in primary care, faster diagnostic access and wider use of telehealth and digital tools.

Medication safety is another important element. The group has called for pharmacist-led medication reviews, supporting safer medicines management for people living with multiple long-term conditions. It is also advocating greater use of health data to strengthen prevention, early intervention and personalised care.

The wider economic case is supported by the OECD’s 2026 report on the health and economic benefits of tackling non-communicable diseases. The OECD found that prevention and action on major risk factors can reduce healthcare expenditure while improving productivity and economic output.

For the sector, the proposals demonstrate how patient safety can be strengthened beyond individual clinical encounters. Community-based reviews, medicines management, diagnostics, digital tools and patient education can create a more connected safety framework around people living with chronic disease. Greater patient participation can further support prevention and long-term self-management.

Patients for Patient Safety’s proposals remain advocacy recommendations rather than confirmed HSE policy, but they highlight an opportunity to develop more coordinated, preventative and patient-centred chronic disease care. The Medical Independent report provides the original Irish sector context for the call.

Source: The Medical Independent / World Health Organization / OECD