Up to 27,000 hospital patients to take part in survey

Up to 27,000 hospital patients are to be surveyed about their experience of the health service next month.

The National Patient Experience Survey, the largest of its kind to be undertaken in the Republic, aims to identify areas for improvement in the health service.

Patients will be asked 61 questions on issues such as confidence and trust in hospital staff, hospitall food, standards of care and medication advice.

The survey is an initiative of the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa), the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Department of Health.

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All adult patients discharged from a public hospital next month will be invited to participate. Patients will receive the survey by post a few weeks after discharge, and can complete the form via post or online.

Other services, such as maternity and mental health, may be included in future surveys.

“The survey is part of a grass-roots led approach to quality improvement,” according to HSE director general Tony O’Brien. “We want to drive quality across the system by listening to the experiences of patients, finding out what is working and what needs to be improved upon.”