National Inpatient Experience Survey

23/05/2025

Over recent months our team has been busy meeting the people close to National Inpatient Experience Survey! The National Care Experience Programme Director Rachel Flynn and Deputy Director Tracy O’Carroll have met with representatives from across the health regions and participating hospitals, to discuss the findings of the 2024 National Inpatient Experience Survey.
Our team met with representatives from health regions including:
• HSE Dublin and Midlands at Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore on 20th May
• HSE Dublin and South East at Tipperary University Hospital on 25th March
• HSE Mid West at University Hospital Limerick on 14th March
• HSE Dublin and North East at Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown on 3rd March
• HSE West and North West at Letterkenny University Hospital on 27th February
• HSE South West at South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital in Cork on 25th February.

Representatives across Ireland told us about their quality improvement initiatives and actions underway in their hospitals, in response to patient feedback to the 2024 survey. The initiatives included themes such as promoting patient partner involvement in quality improvement, information provision with a renewed focus on health literacy, and mechanisms to promote patient feedback.
Our sincere thanks to all our hosts, all who contributed and presented at these meetings, and all those who support us in disseminating the National Inpatient Experience Survey - getting it to patients and using their feedback to improve delivery of healthcare in Ireland.

As part of the National Care Experience Programme, a joint initiative of HIQA the HSE Ireland and Roinn Sláinte, Department of Health, the National Inpatient Experience Survey captures the experience of patients in acute hospitals in Ireland.
To access the survey’s national results or to search for a particular hospital’s results, please visit: https://yourexperience.ie/inpatient/national-results/

21/05/2025

This week, members of our team met with representatives from across the HSE Dublin and Midlands region at the Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore to present the findings of the 2024 National Inpatient Experience Survey. Patient partner representatives attended, along with hospital staff and representatives from across the health region, as well as partner organisations of the National Care Experience Programme.

The visit facilitated an opportunity for hospitals in the region to showcase the quality improvement initiatives under way in response to the findings, as well as a chance for us to thank staff for their continued support.

Back L-R: Kate Killeen White, Regional Executive Officer, HSE Dublin and Midlands, Elaine Newell (HSE Operations Manager, National Care Experience Programme), Iolo Eilian (HSE Assistant National. Director, Patient and Service User Experience Lead).
Front L-R: Aileen Killeen and Christine Fenton, HSE patient partners.

As part of the National Care Experience Programme, a joint initiative of HIQA, the HSE Ireland and the Roinn Sláinte, Department of Health the National Inpatient Experience Survey sheds light on the experience of patients in acute hospitals in Ireland.

To access the survey’s national results, released in December 2024, or to search for a particular hospital’s results, please visit: https://yourexperience.ie/inpatient/national-results/

28/03/2025

This week, members of our team met with representatives from the Dublin and South East health region at Tipperary University Hospital to present the findings of the 2024 National Inpatient Experience Survey. Hospitals across the region provided an overview of their quality improvement initiatives and actions developed in response to survey findings in 2024.
Our sincere thanks to our hosts Maura Grogan, Quality Manager and Ailish Delaney, Interim Hospital Manager
at Tipperary University Hospital.

The initiatives included themes such as promoting patient partner involvement in quality improvement, information provision with a renewed focus on health literacy, and mechanisms to promoting patient feedback.

Patient partner representatives attended, along with hospital staff and representatives from across the health region, as well as partner organisations of the National Care Experience Programme.

Huge thanks also go to QPS representatives from across the region who presented on quality improvement initiatives underway in their hospitals, including Roseanne Killeen, Integrated Healthcare Area Manager at HSE Carlow Kilkenny and Tipperary South, Kate Murphy, Quality Manager in St Luke’s Hospital Kilkenny, Maura Grogan, Quality Manager in Tipperary University Hospital, and Angela Carey, Quality and Patient Safety Manager, University Hospital Waterford (pictured).

In photos:
1. Regional and Hospital Quality Managers and Representatives, Patient Partner Representatives and members of the National Care Experience Programme
2. Kate Murphy, Quality Manager in St Luke’s Hospital Kilkenny
3. Maura Grogan, Quality Manager in Tipperary University Hospital
4. Angela Carey, Quality and Patient Safety Manager, University Hospital Waterford

As part of the National Care Experience Programme, a joint initiative of HIQA the HSE Ireland and Roinn Sláinte, Department of Health, the National Inpatient Experience Survey captures on the experience of patients in acute hospitals in Ireland.
To access the survey’s national results or to search for a particular hospital’s results, please visit: https://yourexperience.ie/inpatient/national-results/

07/03/2025

This week, members of our team and HIQA’s CEO Angela Fitzgerald met with representatives from the Dublin and North East health region at Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown to present the findings of the 2024 National Inpatient Experience Survey. Patient partner representatives attended, along with hospital staff and representatives from across the health region, as well as partner organisations of the National Care Experience Programme.

The visit facilitated an opportunity for the hospitals across the region to showcase the quality improvement initiatives under way in response to the findings, as well as a chance for us to thank staff for their continued support.

In photos:
1. L-R: Aileen Killeen, Patient Partner HSE, Angela Fitzgerald CEO of HIQA, Sara Long, Regional Executive Officer (REO) of HSE Dublin and North East, Tracy O’Carroll, Deputy Director of the National Care Experience Programme
2. Claire Falvey, Quality and Safety Manager, National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh
3. Barbara Keogh-Dunne, General Manager, Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown

As part of the National Care Experience Programme, a joint initiative of HIQA the HSE Ireland and the Roinn Sláinte, Department of Health, the National Inpatient Experience Survey sheds light on the experience of patients in acute hospitals in Ireland.
To access the survey’s national results or to search for a particular hospital’s results, please visit: https://yourexperience.ie/inpatient/national-results/

06/03/2025

On 27th February, members of the National Care Experience Programme met with representatives from across the HSE West and North West Health Region at Letterkenny University Hospital to present the findings of the 2024 National Inpatient Experience Survey.

In photos; gathered representatives from HSE West North West region, followed by Rachel Flynn, Director of Health Information and Standards and National Care Experience Programme with staff from Letterkenny University Hospital and Marion Doogan, Assistant Director of Midwifery.

The meeting offered unique learning opportunities and a chance to thank staff for their support and encourage them to share the survey results and resulting quality improvement plans.

As part of the National Care Experience Programme, a joint initiative of HIQA the HSE Ireland and Roinn Sláinte, Department of Health, the National Inpatient Experience Survey sheds light on the experience of patients in acute hospitals in Ireland.

To access the survey’s national results or to search for a particular hospital’s results, please visit: https://yourexperience.ie/inpatient/national-results/

26/02/2025

Who uses the findings of the National Inpatient Experience Survey and why?

Yesterday, members of our team and HIQA’s CEO Angela Fitzgerald, met with staff at the South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital in Cork to present the findings of the 2024 National Inpatient Experience Survey. Our team heard from partner and patient representatives, including Aileen Barry, Quality and Risk Manager, South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital and Christine Fenton, Patient Partner, HSE.

The meeting allowed us to exchange insights and focused on amplifying the voices of patients in acute hospitals.
We are grateful to all hospital staff who help to run the survey and encourage patients to relate their experiences. The survey’s findings serve to highlight what is working well in their facilities and areas to improve, as well as informing quality improvement plans.

As part of the National Care Experience Programme, a joint initiative of HIQA, the HSE Ireland and the Roinn Sláinte, Department of Health , the National Inpatient Experience Survey sheds light on the experience of patients in acute hospitals in Ireland.

To access the survey’s national results or to search for a particular hospital’s results, please visit: https://yourexperience.ie/inpatient/national-results/

24/02/2025

“This year’s findings underscore the continued importance of patient-centred care, revealing both commendable strides and persistent challenges… Insights gathered over time allow us to measure the impact of initiatives, fostering transparency and accountability within the healthcare system.”

In the latest Hospital Professional News, Tracy O'Carroll, Deputy Director of the National Care Experience Programme shares insights from the 2024 National Inpatient Experience Survey.

Click here to read more: https://hospitalprofessionalnews.ie/2025/02/21/insights-from-the-2024-national-inpatient-experience-survey/

Since its inception in 2017, the National Inpatient Experience Survey has offered a vital glimpse into Ireland's acute healthcare services

05/02/2025

In May 2024, as part of National Inpatient Experience Survey, we asked patients questions about their experiences of care on the ward in May 2024.
✅ Questions were asked about communication with hospital staff, privacy, pain management, cleanliness and food.
✅ In general, patients said they had positive experiences of the care they received while on a ward.
✅ Most patients thought that the hospital was clean and that staff did everything they could to help control their pain.
✅ However, members of staff were not always available to talk to people about their worries and fears, and a number of participants gave low ratings of the food they received.
Learn more about patients’ experiences of hospital care at www.yourexperience.ie.

05/02/2025

Results of the 2024 National Inpatient Experience Survey shared feedback from over 12,000 people who gave insight into their experiences of hospital care in Ireland. The 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.

In December, we published the results of the 2024 National Inpatient Experience Survey. The 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. Over 12,000 people took part and shared their experiences of hospital care in Ireland.

Patients pointed out areas of good experience which included:
☑ being treated with respect and dignity
☑ confidence and trust in hospital staff
☑ adequate pain management
☑ confidence in the safety of their treatment and care.

To coincide with the national survey results, 40 local hospital reports were also published. Additionally, the HSE published a response to the survey findings on the local and national initiatives being developed to improve the quality of care provided to patients. All reports are available at www.yourexperience.ie

22/01/2025

As part of the 2024 National Inpatient Experience Survey, we asked patients questions about their experiences in hospital emergency departments. This is what they told us ⬇

- Waiting times in emergency departments continue to be a challenge.
- In Ireland, the target waiting time for people in the emergency department is six hours for 95% of patients.
- However, 72.6% of respondents said they waited longer than the HSE target of six hours before being admitted from the emergency department to a ward.
- 13.4% of respondents reported waiting 24 hours or more before they were admitted to a ward.
- Around 29.4% of those aged over 65 years said that they were admitted within six hours, compared to 21.2% of patients aged 16 to 35 years.

Studies have shown that long waiting times in the emergency department can affect overall experiences of care and can have negative consequences for patients’ health.
Despite this, people under the age of 50 had less positive experiences of admissions than older patients.

Learn more about patients’ experiences of hospital care at www.yourexperience.ie.

07/01/2025

In December, results of the 2024 National Inpatient Experience Survey were published. The survey forms 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.

It is the largest survey of its kind in Ireland: 30,103 people who were discharged from 40 acute public hospitals were invited to participate in 2024, of these 12,367 people took part.

Compared to 2022, the 2024 survey showed progress in many areas, particularly in patient communication and involvement in care decisions as well as discharge care. However, some areas saw a decline, with patients reporting reduced privacy and less frequent introductions by staff.

To coincide with the national survey results, 40 local hospital reports were also published. Additionally, the HSE published a response to the survey findings on the local and national initiatives being developed to improve the quality of care provided to patients.

All reports are available at www.yourexperience.ie.

10/12/2024

We are pleased to launch the results of the 2024 National Inpatient Experience Survey today. Over 12,000 people took part and shared their experiences of hospital care in Ireland and for the first time, the survey looked at differences in care experiences by local deprivation levels.
Some of the key findings from those who took part:
The majority of patients (85%) rated their overall experience of hospital care as good or very good.
- 83.8% reported they always felt treated with respect and dignity
- 79.1% always had confidence and trust in hospital staff
- 78.7% reported adequate pain management
- 79% felt fully confident in the safety of their treatment and care.

Patients also highlighted areas of care for improvement:
- 19.7% said they were unable to find staff to discuss their worries
- 15.3% reported not receiving enough information on managing their condition post-discharge
- 13.4% said their family did not have enough opportunities to talk to a doctor.

Watch the video to find out what patients had to say about their experiences or read the full results at www.yourexperience.ie.