Majority of patients are happy with care at Tallaght Hospital

AN overwhelming majority of patients at Tallaght Hospital have given the care they received top marks. 

Results presented at a special showcase event reveal that 94 per cent of those surveyed said their care in Tallaght was excellent, very good or good.

Tallaght Hospital recently undertook the volunteer-led ‘Patient Survey Programme’ that involved extensive surveys of inpatients and outpatients in 2015 to gather feedback so it could be used to improve services.

Between July and November, specially trained members of the Tallaght Hospital Volunteer Service, in partnership with the Patient Advocacy Service, interviewed 426 patients about their experiences at Tallaght Hospital. Working with the Picker Institute, personalised surveys were designed for each patient that enabled volunteers to generate feedback on their experience of the treatment and facilities at Tallaght Hospital in an atmosphere of comfort and confidence.

The survey results were presented at a special Patient Survey Showcase event, held at Tallaght Hospital on January 20.

Guests included Peter Tyndall Ombudsman, Stephen McMahon of the Irish Patients Association, Dr Philip Crowley of the HSE, Lisa Yorke of the Picker Institute and representatives of Irish and UK hospitals and local patients’ representatives.

 Survey results revealed that the vast majority of patients are happy with their experience at Tallaght Hospital, with 94 per cent of inpatients responding that care was good, very good or excellent; 98 per cent saying their hospital room or ward was clean and 95 per cent saying they had confidence in the nurses.

David Slevin, CEO, Tallaght Hospital said: “Tallaght Hospital has always been committed to ensuring that all our patients receive the highest quality of care and a central part of that is collecting and responding to their  feedback.

“This initiative, with support from experts in the area such as the Picker Institute, the Southampton NHS Trust and the excellent work of our volunteer service and patient advocacy department, will ensure the patient’s voice is heard and the feedback is used to improve their experiences when coming to Tallaght Hospital.

“The entire initiative is a very practical example of how, at Tallaght Hospital, we are all about ‘people caring for people’. This process is invaluable in ensuring that we continue to meet the needs and expectations of our patients and I would like to thank all involved for their excellent work.”

Carol Roe, Manager, Tallaght Hospital Volunteer Service, added: “The feedback from all the volunteers involved in this process has been excellent. The patient survey is a wonderful initiative. Asking our patients, who are our customers, is an example of how seriously Tallaght Hospital is trying to improve patient care. The patients we spoke to during the process really appreciated being asked for their feedback and being able to have a say in what services they would like to see in the hospital.”

The surveys are guiding improvements including improved hospital signage to make it easier to navigate the building; increased clinics and list validation procedures to reducing outpatient waiting times; and increased information on departments for patients to review before attending for their outpatient view.

Tallaght Hospital plans to undertake four more surveys with different questions in 2016 in the X-Ray Department, the Emergency Department, and the Paediatric Inpatients and Paediatric Outpatients.