MORE than one-in-10 patients are given medication without being asked who they are and almost 4% are operated on without having their identity confirmed.

IT is a cautionary tale, the story of 21-year-old Kevin Murphy’s tragic death, precipitated by a breakdown in communication among healthcare staff.

The largest ever survey of patients in Irish hospitals has found many are unhappy at the lack of communication from healthcare staff.

The largest-every national survey of patients will be launched today by Health Minister Mary Harney.

TWELVE per cent of patients had to wait over a year to get into hospital, a national healthcare survey published yesterday revealed.