88% of patients report positive experience at Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise in National Patient Experience Survey 2018.
The hospital scores significantly higher than national average in most stages of care along patient journey.
The findings of the 2nd National Patient Experience Survey, published today, again highlight positive patient experiences across the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group, showing above average positive findings for the Group as a whole in many areas.
Management at Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise (MRHP) welcomed the results of the survey noting that the majority of patients at the hospital reported positive experiences in hospital.
88% of participants said they had ‘good’ or ‘very good’ overall experiences, compared favorably with 84% nationally.
The hospital achieved significantly higher scores to the national average across most stages of care.
Areas of good experience were identified across several stages of care. Patients said that whenever they needed to talk to a nurse, they got the opportunity to do so.
People also gave positive ratings of the clarity of explanations they received from staff in advance of their operation or procedure.
Lastly, the level of confidence and trust in staff was very high among patients of Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise.
Two areas highlighted for improvement were identified in the survey, both of which relate to communication with patients.
Patients were not always satisfied with the answers they received from doctors. Similarly, many patients said that they were not completely informed about the expected outcome of an operation or procedure.
Key findings
Areas of good experience
- 89% said that they always had confidence and trust in the hospital staff treating them
- 81% who needed to talk to a nurse always got the opportunity to do so
- 70% said that staff gave a complete and clear explanation of how their operation or procedure had gone
Areas needing improvement
- 33% said that they were not, or were only to some extent, told how they could expect to feel after an operation or procedure
- 31% said that doctors did not give them clear answers
Michael Knowles, General Manager Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise commented; “The staff of Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise today welcome the results of the National Patient Experience Survey and we are very happy with the overall result.
“The majority of patients reported an overall positive experience at the hospital and we received significantly higher scores than average across most stages of patient care, including admissions, care on the ward, examinations, diagnosis and treatment.
“Patients were very satisfied with the fact that before their operation or procedure, staff answered their questions in a manner they could understand.
“We know that there are a number of areas where we can improve. The ‘Discharge Planning’ Working Group will continue its work to improve hospital processes around patient discharge, with a particular focus on providing: written/printed information; advice regarding signs/symptoms to observe post discharge; and advice to patients regarding who to contact if they are worried about their condition or treatment after they leave hospital.
“Many of the comments from patients in the report acknowledged the care and support provided to them by our staff and I am delighted to see the great care provided at MRHP acknowledged. We would like to thank all the patients who took part in the survey and the staff who encouraged and facilitated it. The findings of the 2018 survey will be used to help MRHP improve the experiences of patients in the hospital, continuing the good work done in response to the 2017 survey.”
Commenting on the results,Trevor O’Callaghan, Chief Executive Officer of the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group said, “On behalf of the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group I welcome the results of the 2018 National Patient Experience Survey. This is the second national survey and the results are very encouraging.
“The overall response rate for the hospital group improved in 2018. The majority of patients who participated in the survey (97%) felt they were treated with dignity and respect and they (98%) had confidence and trust in our staff, this is very good news.
“I wish to sincerely thank the patients who willingly gave of their time to provide feedback in relation to the services we provide. This feedback is very valuable and helps us to learn what is important to patients and what changes are required to improve our patient’s experience of our services.
“Dublin Midlands Hospital Group is committed to providing high quality health care and will continue to work in partnership with patients and staff to improve services.”
SEE ALSO – ‘Sad day’ as new housing plan will see ‘just a handful’ for Portlaoise
