The Department of Health has released a report showing major differences in death rates across Irish hospitals.

It reveals that the death rate among stroke patients is four-times higher in some hospitals than others. While the figure for heart attacks was five-times higher in one unit.

While no facilities are named, some had mortality rates of 55%, 74% and 89% higher than the national average - with one over twice the average.

The report highlights important issues in a number of areas, including the importance of data quality in developing and implementing indicators.

The figures also give an idea of how Ireland measures up with international standards.

In 2011, the Iirsh death rate for strokes caused by blood clots was 9.9 deaths per 100 cases, which is above the OECD average of 8.5.

For heart attacks it was 6.8 deaths per hundred cases - below the average of 7.9.

In response to the report, the Department of Health says that clear governance mechanisms at both a national, regional and local level for the quality of Hospital Inpatient Enquiry System (HIPE) will be established.

These are to include a national governance group and clear service level agreements with providers.

Those responsible for the quality of HIPE both at the national level, that is the HSE and at a local level, for example acute hospitals, should "ensure continuous improvement in the quality of HIPE through implementation of quality improvement programmes".

These are to include regular audits along with education and training programmes for clinical and administrative staff involved.

The Sunday Business Post Health Correspondent Susan Mitchell says the statistics highlight potential problems but hospitals with higher death rates are not necessarily unsafe.