Positive experiences but still room for improvement indicated in patient survey

Over 13,000 people participated in this year’s survey, resulting in a response rate of over 50 per cent.

The majority of patients,  84 per cent, said that they had a good or a very good overall experience in hospital in May 2018, with 16 per cent reporting a fair to poor experience.

“The overwhelming response shows patients want to have their voices heard and it is absolutely essential the health service listens and responds when they tell their stories of care,” said Minister Harris.

“I am delighted to see that there have been improvements in the discharge and transfer process and in care on the ward from last year’s survey, which shows that the health service is responding to the results of last year’s survey.

“There is still room for improvement but we are determined to drive reform through Sláintecare and it is vital patients remain at the heart of that change.”

Ms 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.”

Also speaking on the figures Mr Liam Woods, HSE National Director of Acute Services, said, ”84 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.”