The majority of patients (84%), who responded to the 2018 National Patient Experience Survey said that they had a good or a very good overall experience while they were in hospital in May 2018.
Over 13,000 people participated in the survey. Patients aged 16 years or over who spent a minimum of 24 hours in a public acute hospital, were discharged in May 2018, and had a postal address in the Republic of Ireland, were eligible to participate in the survey. Patients received the survey by post a few weeks after their discharge. The survey could be completed either online or on paper.
HIQA’s, Rachel Flynn, Director of the National Patient Experience Survey Programme, said, “The majority of patients, once they were admitted to a ward, spoke positively of hospital care. However, their experiences in the emergency department were less favourable. While improvements in the discharge processes were identified, there is still room for improvement in this area.
“The results of the survey indicate that patients want staff to provide them and their families with more information about their treatment, and would like to be involved in decisions about their care and discharge. We must now listen carefully to what patients have said in this survey and work to deliver a more patient-centred approach to healthcare.”
Liam Woods, HSE National Director of Acute Services, said, “Putting the voice of patients at the centre of our healthcare system helps us to focus on delivering the care and services our patients expect and deserve.
”Eighty four per cent of our patients had either a very good or good experience in hospital and this is very encouraging for us all, including our staff, who have worked extremely hard over the last year to implement quality improvement plans in response to last year’s survey findings. Their enthusiasm, encouragement and commitment is very much appreciated and as evidenced in this year’s results, is already making a positive improvement to patient experience in our hospitals.”
The National Patient Experience Survey is a joint initiative by HIQA, as the lead partner, the HSE and the Department of Health.
The 2018 survey contained 61 questions on topics such as admission to hospital, confidence and trust in staff, hospital food, care and treatment, and discharge processes.
The 2018 National Patient Experience Survey report, along with 39 individual reports for all participating hospitals, can be found at www.patientexperience.ie
