St. Vincent’s University Hospital achieves top European ranking for Rare Lung Disease Care 

30th April 2026

St. Vincent’s University Hospital (SVUH) has achieved an overall ‘Excellent’ rating in the latest evaluation of the European Reference Networks (ERN) Lung network, placing it among the highest-performing of all 89 expert centres evaluated across Europe for the care of rare and complex respiratory diseases. 

The result marks a significant milestone for the hospital, which has now maintained this ‘Excellent’ rating for three consecutive years, reflecting sustained performance across clinical care, research and international collaboration. 

The ERN Lung evaluation assessed 89 specialist centres across Europe. SVUH received ‘Excellent’ ratings across all key domains, including clinical practice, research, registry use, guideline development, education and participation in European multidisciplinary case discussions. 

This achievement reinforces the hospital’s role as a national and European centre of excellence in rare respiratory disease care. 

Leadership and collaboration at the core 

ERN Lung activity at St. Vincent’s University Hospital is led by Prof Cormac McCarthy, Consultant Respiratory Physician and Associate Professor, who represents the hospital within the European network and supports the integration of international best practice into patient care in Ireland. 

European Reference Networks bring together specialist centres across Europe to support patients with rare and complex conditions. Through shared expertise, virtual case discussions and collaborative research, ERNs enable patients to benefit from international specialist knowledge while remaining within their local healthcare system. 

St. Vincent’s works closely with national partners, including the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and Beaumont Hospital, to strengthen Ireland’s approach to rare disease care through this European collaboration. 

Pauline McGrath, CEO, St. Vincent’s University Hospital, said “Achieving and sustaining an ‘Excellent’ rating at European level is a significant recognition of the expertise, commitment and teamwork across our hospital. It reflects the standard of care we deliver every day to patients with complex and rare conditions. Being part of the ERN Lung network ensures our patients benefit from the very best international knowledge and collaboration, while receiving care here at home.” 

Prof Cormac McCarthy, ERN Lung Clinical Lead at SVUH, said “This result reflects years of dedicated work by multidisciplinary teams who have embedded ERN collaboration into everyday clinical practice. Through the ERN Lung network, we are able to connect with leading experts across Europe, contribute to research and guideline development and support better, faster diagnosis and treatment for patients with rare respiratory diseases. Maintaining this level of performance over three years is something the entire team can be proud of.” 

Supporting better outcomes for patients 

European Reference Networks play a critical role in addressing the challenges faced by patients with rare diseases, including delayed diagnosis, limited access to specialist expertise and fragmented care pathways. 

By connecting centres of excellence across Europe, ERNs support: 

• Faster and more accurate diagnosis  
• Access to specialist multidisciplinary expertise  
• Consistent, high-quality care aligned with European standards  
• Stronger links between clinical care, research, and education  

This recognition highlights the Hospital’s continued leadership in delivering care centred on patients with the most complex needs, both nationally and across Europe. 

Notes for editor 

• ERN Lung is part of the European Commission’s European Reference Networks initiative  
• 89 specialist centres participated in the latest evaluation  
• St. Vincent’s University Hospital is part St. Vincent’s Healthcare Group, HSE Dublin and South-East region and is affiliated with University College Dublin