Patients give verdict in survey of Laois hospital in Portlaoise

Over 90% of patients admitted to Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise (MRHP) say they had “a good, or very good experience of care”, according to the HSE. 

The findings are contained in the 2021 National Inpatient Experience Survey, which has just been released.

The HSE says the hospital achieved rankings that were above average in each of the categories surveyed. This included how patients were dealt with on admission, their care on the wards, and in terms of how staff managed their discharge and transfer to other hospitals.

Patients also reported high levels of satisfaction when it came to the overall cleanliness of their hospital room or ward, with the vast majority reporting that staff treated them with respect and dignity, during their stay.

Olivia Lafferty, Quality Risk & Patient Safety Manager at MRHP commented on the findings.

“A number of areas for improvement were identified as a result of last year’s survey, including communication between patients and staff. We have used the 2021 results to develop quality improvement initiatives, to ensure patients’ priorities are addressed," she said.

The HSE says the following improvement initiatives have been introduced:

Communication

·       The National Healthcare Communication Training Programme has begun again in the Maternity Department.

·       In 2022, The National Healthcare Communication Training Programme will be rolled out to other departments in the hospital.

·       The hospital currently has two trained facilitators for this programme onsite.

·       The hospital is committed to embedding the “open disclosure” programme, through continued training for staff.

·       Information will be added to the Patient Information leaflet, advising patients and families what to do, if they wish to talk or meet with a doctor.

Discharge

·       A Discharge Patient Information leaflet will be developed.

·       A discharge envelope which is a checklist for staff to ensure that all the relevant documentation has been provided to the patient will be updated and re-introduced. 

Other improvements

·       New capital builds to include a Respiratory Assessment Unit will improve patient experience.

·       The hospital has opened a new family room, very close to the critical care area.

·       The family rooms for Dunamaise, Slieve Bloom & Emo Court wards have recently been refurbished.

·       Age friendly car parking spaces and additional wheelchair friendly parking spaces have been added, during the upgrade of the carpark.

·       MRHP will continue to offer virtual clinic appointments alongside face to face appointments, to make it easier for patients to access treatment

To continue to improve, MRHP has just launched its National Inpatient Experience Survey for 2022. The HSE says eligible patients who have been discharged from the hospital during the month of May 2022, will receive an invitation in the post to participate in the survey. They can respond online or by post and will be asked about their recent stay in order to find out what is working well and where improvements can be made.

The HSE says the results will then be carefully scrutinised by management and staff at the hospital who will respond by introducing initiatives to make things better for patients.

According to Michael Knowles the General Manager of MRHP “The results of our most recent survey, with 90% of our patients saying the care was good or very good is testament to the hard work and commitment of the dedicated staff at MRHP. Many of the comments from patients in this report acknowledge the great care and support provided to them, by our staff.  I am asking patients to complete the 2022 survey, so we can continue to listen, respond and improve.”

Trevor O’Callaghan, Group CEO Dublin Midlands Hospital Group (DMHG) said: “Across all the hospitals surveyed, there was a constant reference to the care and compassion shown by staff. To this end, I wish to thank all staff for their commitment to the provision of high quality healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic. I would also like to thank staff who engaged whole heartedly with the survey by encouraging patients to participate and then by working diligently on quality improvement initiatives to improve services.  Finally, I wish to sincerely thank the patients who willingly gave of their time to provide insight into their experiences in relation to their hospital care.”

For further information on the National Patient Experience Survey visit www.patientexperience.ie