Recently, Croí hosted a Patient-Led Policy Roundtable at Croí House, Galway, supported by Medtronic as part of their Mission Makers Grant Programme – bringing together patients, clinicians, and policymakers to address one of Ireland’s most urgent health challenges: the growing burden of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
The event, ‘Confronting the Crisis: Stroke and Cardiovascular Disease in Ireland’, firmly put the patient voice at the centre of the conversation, highlighting the human impact of living with cardiovascular disease, the urgent need for early detection, prevention, and equitable access to care, and the critical role of political leadership in driving change.
Oireachtas members from the region were invited and we were honoured to welcome Minister Seán Canney, Deputy John Connolly, Deputy Mairéad Farrell, Senator Anne Rabbitte, and Senator Seán Kyne, who joined an open discussion with patients and healthcare leaders to explore solutions for improving cardiovascular health in Ireland.
At a policy level, the soon-to-be-finalised European Cardiovascular Health Plan was discussed, and the need emphasised for Ireland to respond by preparing a new national cardiovascular health plan with a strong focus on prevention. The provision of appropriate funding for the National Stroke Strategy and the implementation of the recommendations of the National Review of Adult Specialist Cardiac Services were also highlighted as priority actions.
A sincere thank you to our incredible patient advocates for sharing their lived experiences, to the elected representatives who took the time to attend for their engagement, to our partners at Medtronic, and to all who contributed their insights and commitment to this vital conversation.