The results of the 2022 National Inpatient Experience Survey have been launched today.

During May 2022, 24,996 people were invited to participate in the fifth National Inpatient Experience Survey. In total, 10,904 people took part in this survey, a response rate of 44%.

The majority of patients (81.9%) rated their overall experience of hospital care as ‘good’ or ‘very good’ with most patients saying they were always treated with respect and dignity. Respondents also gave high ratings for their interactions with nurses, pain management and confidence and trust in hospital staff.

Nevertheless, patients also highlighted areas for improvement, including long waiting times in the emergency department. 29% of patients said that they were admitted to a ward within the HSE’s target that 70% of patients should be admitted or discharged within six hours. However, 334 people (4.5%) said they waited 48 hours or more before being admitted to a ward.

Patients were also less positive about the availability of emotional support, time to discuss care and treatment with a doctor, information on how to manage a condition after leaving hospital, and opportunities for family members to talk to a doctor. 22% of participants said that they did not find a member of staff to talk to about their worries and fears.

The average patient rating for ‘care on the ward’ was 8.2 out of 10. Patients generally gave positive ratings of cleanliness, with 75% of people saying that their room was very clean.

 ‘Discharge or transfer’ was the lowest-rated stage of care, with an average patient rating of 6.9 out of 10. While 69% of patients said that the purpose of medications they were to take at home was fully explained to them, 36% said that they were not told about medication side effects.

Responding to the survey findings, Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly TD said:
”The National Inpatient Experience Survey is an essential tool that gives patients a direct say in improving the quality and the safety of our health services. I would like to thank everyone who took part in this year’s survey. By listening and learning from the experiences of patients we can continue to implement effective and sustainable patient centred changes across the Irish health care system.”
Rachel Flynn, HIQA’s Director of Health Information and Standards and Programme Director of the National Care Experience Programme said:  “Upholding the principles of person-centred care and respecting an individual’s human rights are fundamental to the provision of high-quality healthcare and strongly relate to patients’ overall experience.

“The National Inpatient Experience Survey ensures that the voice of patients is heard by those who can implement change and improve healthcare in Ireland.

“One of HIQA’s strategic objectives for the period 2022-2024 is to promote and protect equality and the human rights of people using health and social care services. HIQA will continue to focus on this in all areas of its work in 2023 and beyond.”

Stephen Mulvany, HSE CEO, said: “I would like to thank the patients, their families and carers for completing this survey and for providing insights and perspective on their experience in our public hospitals. Learning is a core component of delivering safe and effective healthcare and these findings help to shape our quality improvement priorities in our hospitals for the next 12 months, as part of an ongoing cycle of listening, responding and improving since the first HIQA patient experience survey.

"I would also like to acknowledge the commitment of our staff in the work they do every day and their ongoing dedication to caring for patients. We will now take the time to understand and to reflect critically on what patients have said, so this valuable feedback can be used to continue to improve our services.”

39 local hospital reports have also been published today and are available at www.yourexperience.ie.

To find out more about the results of the survey watch our short animation, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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For further information please contact:
Marty Whelan, Head of Communications & Stakeholder Engagement, HIQA
085 8055202
mwhelan@hiqa.ie

Notes to the editor

• The National Inpatient Experience Survey offers patients the opportunity to describe their experiences of public acute healthcare in Ireland.
• The aim of the survey is to find out from patients what is working well in our health service, and where improvements are necessary. The HSE responds to the survey findings by developing local and national initiatives to improve the quality of care provided to patients.
• With 40 participating hospitals and 10,904 participants in 2022, it is the largest survey of its kind in Ireland.
• The 2022 survey commenced on 1 May.
• The survey questionnaire can be found here.
• The National Inpatient Experience Survey is part of the National Care Experience Programme, a joint initiative by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Department of Health. The Programme also includes the National Nursing Home Experience Survey, the National Maternity Experience Survey, the National Maternity Bereavement Experience Survey and National End of Life Survey.
• One of HIQA’s strategic objectives for the period 2022-2024 is to promote and protect equality and the human rights of people using health and social care services.