Website allows patients rate hospitals

A NEW online ‘rate my hospital’ service which allows patients and their relatives to comment on their local facilities, was welcomed by patient campaign groups yesterday.

Until now, there has been no facility available for patients to detail their experiences of the hospital system and the service they received.

The site, launched yesterday by Irishhealth.com, has compiled a full listing of every publicly funded hospital in the country.

Using information received from patients and their relatives, the site will compile and publish constantly updated ratings scales for hospitals, including a comments area where people can post their observations, experiences and more detailed feedback.

Stephen McMahon, of the Irish Patients’ Association, said he was delighted that patients now had a place where they could record their personal experiences of the hospital system. He said the site would complement the work already being done by the association.

“We would not see this type of initiative as a stick to beat the hospital with but as a carrot to encourage the maintenance of high standards,” he said.

Janette Byrne, of Patients Together, said the site would allow patients to voice their concerns about the country’s failing health service.

She said it would allow patients to air their frustrations while they continued to wait for the patients’ helpline that Health Minister Mary Harney promised the group more than a year ago.

Visitors to the site can select their local hospital from the listing and complete a simple yet comprehensive survey, rating every aspect of their experience in the hospital, from the cost and quality of car parking to the attitude of staff and any delays experienced in accessing care.

John Gibbons, publisher of Irishhealth.com, said the service would also recognise and reward excellence in care beyond the call of duty.

“We are giving patients the facility to nominate individuals or units within hospitals who they feel provided exceptional care, often in difficult circumstances, and we will be acknowledging and publicising these individuals who are the real heroes of the Irish healthcare system.”

He added that the Health Service Executive (HSE) National Hygiene Audit showed that identifying problems was the first step to remedying them.

“The first hygiene audit showed up shortcomings in many hospitals. However, virtually all these hospitals performed significantly better in the second audit,” said Mr Gibbons.

*Rate My Hospital is available at www.irishhealth.com/hospital.