Minister launches national survey of patients' experience of acute hospitals in Ireland

The first ever National Patient Experience Survey has been launched this morning by Minister for Health Simon Harris TD at the Mater Misericordiae Hospital.

This survey, the first of its kind in Ireland, gives patients an opportunity to describe their experiences to improve the health service.

Commencing on May 1, all adult patients who are discharged from a public acute hospital during this month will be invited to participate in the survey.

Up to 27,000 patients will be eligible to take part, making this the largest single survey of the healthcare system in Ireland.

Patients will be asked 61 questions on topics such as confidence and trust in hospital staff, hospital food, care and treatment, and whether their medications and possible side-effects were explained before discharge from hospital.

A joint initiative by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Department of Health, the National Patient Experience Survey Programme will use data collected from the survey to “shape future healthcare policy and improve outcomes for patients”.

Speaking at the launch, Minister for Health Simon Harris TD said: “I am delighted to welcome this significant new patient safety innovation to our healthcare service.

“This joined-up approach between my Department, the HSE and HIQA is a concrete sign of the commitment all of us – policy makers, service providers and regulators – have to improving the quality and the safety of our health services for patients.

“This survey will identify areas for improvement providing a direct focus for changes required.

“I am also confident that through this survey we will discover many examples of good practice which can be shared across the country. Capturing these important messages is vital for patients, hospital managers and not least for the staff providing the care in our hospitals.

“My Department is fully committed to patient safety and to this end I launched a new National Patient Safety Office last year which has already commenced a programme of patient safety policy and legislation.”