The sixth National Inpatient Experience Survey gets underway today in all public acute hospitals 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.

The survey asks people aged 16 years and over who spend 24 hours or more in a public acute hospital, and are discharged during the month of May, for their views on the care they received.

The survey is the largest of its kind in Ireland. It offers patients the opportunity to share their experiences of all aspects of their care, such as confidence and trust in hospital staff, care and treatment on the ward, the provision of information and support when leaving hospital, and to highlight what improvements they believe are necessary.

The first National Inpatient Experience Survey took place in Ireland in 2017. Since then, over 61,000 patients have taken part and shared their experiences of hospital care. In 2022, 44% of invited patients responded to the survey, highlighting the strong desire of patients to talk about their experiences in hospital in order to bring about meaningful change. Approximately 27,000 patients are estimated to be eligible to participate in this year’s survey.

The National Inpatient Experience Survey contains a total of 52 questions on topics such as admission to hospital, care and treatment on the ward, trust in hospital staff, respect and dignity, and discharge from hospital.

Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly said: “The National Inpatient Experience Survey allows patients to provide valuable insights and perspectives on their own experience in our acute hospitals. Survey responses will inform quality improvements and the safety of our health service.

I welcome the inclusion of five new patient safety questions on a pilot basis in this year’s survey. This survey will no doubt enhance our understanding of patient safety culture in acute hospitals. I encourage all people who are eligible to participate.”

Speaking on the launch of the survey, HSE CEO Bernard Gloster said: “Improving healthcare services is a key priority for us. Listening to patients who recently spent time in hospitals and learning from their experiences of all aspects of care helps us to improve. It’s greatly valuable for us. The National Inpatient Experience Survey gives patients a direct say in improving the quality and the safety of our health services and I strongly encourage people to share their views. We know that the most successful approach to building a safer, quality healthcare system is when the health service works together with patients and communities.’’

Angela Fitzgerald, HIQA’s CEO said: “For those patients who recently spent some time in hospital, this national survey provides them with an opportunity to share their experiences. The questions asked cover a wide range of aspects of care in hospital. Sharing your views provides us with a good insight into key aspects of the safety and quality of care in Irish hospitals, as seen through the eyes of the patients and amplifies what really matters to them. This valuable information will support the partner organisations of HIQA, the HSE, the Department of Health and patient advocacy groups to drive effective and sustainable changes across the healthcare sector.”

To find out more about the survey, watch the short animation here. You can also visit www.yourexperience.ie or follow the National Care Experience Programme on X (Twitter), Instagram and Facebook. 

Ends.

Notes to the editor:

• 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. 
• To be eligible, patients must be aged 16 years and over, have spent 24 hours or more in a public acute hospital, have been discharged from hospital in May 2024 and have a postal address in the Republic of Ireland.
• Eligible patients will receive an invitation in the post a few weeks after leaving hospital asking them to take part in the survey. The survey can be completed online or in paper form, and must be submitted by 31 July 2024.
• A review of the National Inpatient Experience Survey was undertaken in 2023 to ensure the survey remains fit for purpose, responsive to future stakeholder needs and priorities, is accessible to those in the target group and continues to optimise the use of the data generated. The review also looked into new opportunities to enhance the impact of the survey. As part of the 2024 survey, the Pobal HP Deprivation Index will be integrated with National Inpatient Experience Survey data which will help to compare the experiences of different communities in Ireland based on the sociodemographic conditions of the areas where participants live. New questions have also been developed to capture patient-reported experiences of patient safety, underpinned by the introduction of the Patient Safety Act 2023 and Ireland’s commitment under the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Patient Safety Action Plan as well as patient safety data collection within the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The international review, which looked at current practices in inpatient experience surveys in other jurisdictions and formed part of our overall review, is available on our website.
• The National Care Experience Programme also includes the National Nursing Home Experience Survey, the National Maternity Bereavement Experience Survey and the National End of Life Survey. You can find out more on our website.