The positive results reflect specific initiatives undertaken in Nenagh.
THE results of the Fourth National Hospital Patient Experience Survey revealed that more than four out of five patients in the UL Hospital Group described their overall experience as good or very good.
Just under 1,000 patients provided feedback and the results of the 2021 survey are already being used to improve quality at the five participating hospitals.
All five – Limerick University Hospital, Ennis Hospital, Nenagh Hospital, St John’s Hospital and Croom Orthopedic Hospital – are now encouraging all patients discharged from hospital in May 2022 to take part in this year’s National Hospital Patient Experience Survey.
Across UL Hospitals Group as a whole, 82% of patients surveyed rated their overall experience as good or very good in September 2021, compared to a national average of 83%. At University Hospital Limerick, 78% of patients described their overall experience as good or very good, as did 88% of patients at Ennis Hospital; 90% at Nenagh Hospital; 95% at St John’s Hospital and 94% at Croom Orthopedic Hospital.
The survey also assigns an overall rating to the hospital experience, with a national average of 8.2 out of 10 in 2021. In UL Hospitals Group, UHL scored 7.8 out of 10; Nenagh 8.6 out of 10, Ennis 8.7 out of 10, St John’s 8.8 out of 10 and Croom 9.2 out of 10.
Every patient who spent at least one night in an acute care hospital in September 2021 was asked for their opinion via nearly 60 detailed questions and UL Hospitals Group achieved an overall response rate of 40%.
Patients are asked to give their opinions and observations on each stage of their journey in the hospital and the survey is divided into sections on admissions, care in the service; examination, diagnosis and treatment; and Discharge/Transfer. To reflect the additional challenges patients are facing in 2021 due to Covid-19, questions have been added to this most recent survey about how patients experienced care during the pandemic.
NENAGH HOSPITAL
Cathrina Ryan, Director of Nursing at Nenagh Hospital, said: “We are delighted that the survey results show high levels of patient satisfaction with trust in our staff; around patient privacy; around staff presenting themselves properly and around pain management. These positive results reflect the specific initiatives undertaken at Nenagh as well as the professionalism and dedication of our staff.
“Listening to the needs of our patients and responding to them with solutions is fundamental to our approach to patient-centred care at Nenagh Hospital. It is clear from the survey results that there is room for improvement in our discharge planning and the level of information patients expect about their medications. These areas will receive renewed attention as we continue to develop quality improvement plans and will also be the focus of a new Patient Experience Committee to be established at Nenagh Hospital,” Ms Ryan added. .
2022 SURVEY
Niamh Hogan, manager of patient advocacy and liaison services, UL Hospitals Group, encouraged eligible patients to participate in this year’s survey over the coming weeks.
“Nearly 1,000 patients in the group responded to the 2021 survey, providing detailed information that we can use to further improve our services. We also ask patients discharged from our hospitals in May 2022 for their views and observations as we continue this cycle of improvement. All eligible patients will receive a survey and they will also have the option to complete the survey online,” Ms. Hogan said.
Professor Colette Cowan, CEO, UL Hospitals Group, added: “I thank each of the patients who responded to the survey for providing us with such a rich store of information on which we can draw to improve the patient experience. patients. Overall, our patients have described, in their own words, the excellent care provided by our doctors, nurses and allied health professionals. And they shared their stories of the professionalism and caring support staff who provide their meals and who work tirelessly to keep the care environment safe and clean.
“Every day, our staff demonstrates a great commitment to the people of the Midwest and it is encouraging to see this reflected in the survey results. It is important that we pay attention to areas where our patients are less satisfied and even dissatisfied with our services.
“A number of quality improvement plans are in place to address concerns identified by our patients. The National Hospital Patient Experience Survey is one of the many ways we collect feedback from our patients. Quality improvement is an ongoing cycle and I encourage all patients discharged from our five participating hospitals this month to complete the survey for 2022.”
