Have your say on hospital care in Tipperary

The fifth National Inpatient Experience Survey is now underway in Nenagh Hospital and South Tipperary General.

This annual survey — the largest of its kind in Ireland — offers patients the opportunity to share their experiences of healthcare and tell us what is working well and what improvements they believe are necessary. This provides a clear picture of the safety and quality of care in Irish hospitals, as seen through the eyes of patients.

Almost 26,000 patients are eligible to participate in this year’s survey. Since 2017, over 50,100 patients have completed the survey nationally, making over 86,000 comments on the care and treatment they received in hospital. Last year’s response rate of 43% at Nenagh Hospital and 39% at South Tipperary General Hospital, indicates the strong desire of patients to talk about their experiences in hospital in order to bring about meaningful change.

The National Inpatient Experience Survey contains a total of 67 questions on topics such as admission to hospital, care and treatment on the ward, trust in hospital staff, respect and dignity, and care during the pandemic. All patients aged over 16 years-of-age who spent 24 hours or more in hospital and were discharged during the month of May are eligible to participate in the survey.

HIQA’s Director of Health Information and Standards Rachel Flynn said: “I would like to encourage all eligible patients to tell us about their recent experiences of care in South Tipperary General Hospital and Nenagh Hospital. By sharing your views, you will provide us with invaluable information on the improvements that are necessary to deliver a more person-centred health service in your area. It is by listening and learning from your experiences that we can bring about effective and sustainable changes across the healthcare sector.”

Cathrina Ryan, Operational Director of Nursing, Nenagh Hospital commented: “Listening to the needs of our patients and responding with solutions is fundamental to how we approach patient-centred care. Our Patient Experience Committee at Nenagh Hospital is already implementing improvements based on the findings of the National Inpatient Experience Survey from 2021, with a particular focus on discharge planning and informing patients around their medications before they go home. We look forward to receiving the feedback from our patients following the 2022 survey to see how we can continue to improve.”

To find out more about the survey, visit the website yourexperience.ie