The majority of participants reported positive experiences in hospital, however, there were also several areas needing improvement.
78% said they had good‘ or very good‘overall experiences, compared with 84% nationally.
The hospital scored about the same as the national average for the admissions‘ and examination, diagnosis and
treatment‘ stages of care.
However, the hospital scored below the national average for the care on the ward, discharge or transfer‘ stages and for overall experience.
In terms of areas of good experience, the majority of patients said that they were always offered a choice of food, and the hospital received above-average ratings for
this question.
While the majority of patients felt that they were treated with respect and dignity, and had confidence and
trust in hospital staff, the hospital scored below the national average for the two questions covering these areas.
In addition, some patients were not as involved in decisions about their care as much as they wanted to be.
There were no significant differences in patients‘ ratings of care compared with the
2018 survey.
The results of the 2019 National Inpatient Experience Survey have been launched today in the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin.
This annual survey, the largest of its kind in Ireland, asks patients about their experiences of hospital care, covering topics such as admission to hospital, privacy, care and treatment, interaction with staff, and discharge processes. Almost 450 patients from University Hospital Waterford participated in the 2019 survey, resulting in a strong response rate of 46%.
The aim of the National Inpatient Experience Survey is to find out from patients what is working well in our health service, and where improvements are necessary. The Health Service Executive (HSE) responds to the survey findings by developing local and national initiatives to improve the quality of care provided to patients.
Rachel Flynn, Director of the National Care Experience Programme, said: “The majority of patients said that they had positive overall experiences in University Hospital Waterford. 78% of patients said that they had a ‘good’ or a ‘very good’ experience, compared with the national average of 84%.
“In terms of areas of good experience, the majority of patients said that they were always offered a choice of food. On the other hand, while the majority of patients felt that they were treated with respect and dignity, and had confidence and trust in hospital staff, the hospital scored below the national average in these areas. In addition, a number of patients said that they would have liked to be more involved in decisions about their care.”
Grace Rothwell, General Manager at University Hospital Waterford, said: “We are committed to ensuring that all patients are treated with dignity and respect and are appropriately consulted about their care and treatment. To this end, we are undertaking a training and education programme in 2020 to heighten awareness amongst staff and support them to engage with patients and to build trust and confidence in the services we provide.
“A number of additional measures are in place in our emergency department for winter 2019, with a focus on patient comfort, dignity and respect. Following on from winter, the new and additional inpatient capacity in the Dunmore Wing will positively impact on overcrowding. Furthermore, feedback in recent times has resulted in improvements in the nutritional content of our menus and the addition of a snack menu, which has multiple options for patients outside of regular meal times.”
