Patients invited to have their say on the hospital care they received during COVID-19 pandemic as part of the fourth National Inpatient Experience Survey

The survey will ask people aged 16 and over who spend 24 hours or more in a public acute hospital, and are discharged during the month of May, for their views on the care they received.

In this year’s survey patients will be asked about admission to hospital, the ward environment, care and treatment, discharge from hospital, as well as additional questions about their experiences in hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as staff communication while wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) and contact with family and friends given visitor restrictions.

Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, T.D. said: “The National Inpatient Experience Survey is an invaluable tool that gives patients a direct say in improving the quality and the safety of our health services.

“I am delighted that the survey is taking place this year and encourage people to participate. The results from this year’s survey will be particularly important given the changes in our hospitals over the past year. I look forward to receiving the results of the survey to find out what is working well in our hospitals and how the findings will be used to improve patient experience into the future.

“In what has been an exceptionally challenging year for our frontline healthcare workers and hospital staff, they have continued to demonstrate their ongoing commitment and dedication to our patients throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

We know that the most successful approach to building a safer quality healthcare system is when the health service works together with patients and communities.”

Rachel Flynn, HIQA’s Director of Health Information and Standards and Director of the National Care Experience Programme, said: “Frontline healthcare workers and hospital staff have faced an unprecedented challenge over the past year in managing and containing the spread of COVID-19.
“It is now more important than ever that as many patients as possible tell us about their experiences of hospital care so that we can identify what works well, not only in terms of COVID-19 management, but also within the wider suite of hospital services.

“It is through direct engagement with patients, listening to and learning from their experiences, that we can bring about effective and sustainable changes across the healthcare sector.”

Paul Reid, CEO of the HSE, said: “I would like to acknowledge the hard work and commitment of all our hospital staff over the past year and would ask that you continue to encourage all eligible patients to complete this year’s survey.

“Listening to our patients and learning from their experience can help us to make improvements, to better understand what matters to patients and maintain trust and confidence in our hospitals and services.”

Ends.

Find out more by watching our video and animation, or visiting www.yourexperience.ie.

For further information please contact: 
Marty Whelan, Head of Communications & Stakeholder Engagement
085 8055202
mwhelan@hiqa.ie

Notes to Editor:

• The National Inpatient Experience Survey is a part of the National Care Experience Programme, a joint initiative by HIQA, the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Department of Health.
• Since 2017, almost 40,000 patients have taken part in National Inpatient Experience Survey.
• This year’s survey will ask 67 questions, and has been adapted to include questions about patients’ experiences of hospital care during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as staff communication while wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) and contact with family and friends given visitor restrictions.
• Eligible patients will receive a survey by post by the end of June 2021. The completed survey must be submitted by 5pm on 17 August 2021.
• To be eligible, patients must have a postal address in the Republic of Ireland.
• The findings of the 2021 survey will be published later this year and can be found at www.yourexperience.ie

https://www.hiqa.ie/hiqa-news-updates/patients-invited-have-their-say-hospital-care-they-received-during-covid-19