Almost three quarters of patients who attended an emergency department this year waited more than six hours before being admitted to a ward, while more than 13 per cent waited more than 24 hours, a new survey has found.
On Tuesday, the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) published the results of the 2024 national inpatient experience survey, in which 12,367 patients from public acute hospitals took part.
Overall, the survey found the majority of respondents (85 per cent) rated their hospital care experience positively, with 58 per cent rating it as “very good” and 27 per cent as “good”.
Compared to 2022 survey findings, the 2024 results show that patients’ rating of their overall care experiences have improved, particularly regarding being discharged from hospital, which had consistently received the lowest scores in previous surveys.
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Patients in the 2024 survey indicated positive interactions with healthcare staff, such as more than 83 per cent reporting they felt treated with respect and dignity, and 79 per cent feeling confident in the safety of their treatment and care.
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Despite overall positive feedback, patients identified a number of key areas to be improved – particularly long waiting times in emergency departments.
Some 19.7 per cent of patients said they were unable to find staff to discuss their worries; 15.3 per cent reported not receiving enough information on managing their condition post-discharge, and 13.4 per cent said their family did not have enough opportunities to talk to a doctor.
Furthermore, 72.6 per cent reported waiting longer than six hours before being admitted to a ward, with 1,078 people (13.4 per cent) waiting more than 24 hours.
Some areas saw a decline in satisfaction, with patients reporting reduced privacy, less frequent introductions by staff, and a decline in trust and confidence in hospital personnel.
Women, patients aged 16 to 35 and those with disabilities reported lower satisfaction levels than other groups. Patients with planned admissions had more positive experiences (93.5 per cent) compared to those admitted in emergencies (82.5 per cent).
Bernard Gloster, chief executive of the HSE, said the survey findings identify “key areas for improvement in patient care, as well as strengths that we can build on”.
“While we have seen improvements in 2024 with our acute hospitals delivering higher levels of activity and treating more patients, there has been increased demand and higher-than-anticipated levels of attendances,” he said.
“We will continue to take every opportunity to ensure our emergency departments treat those who need emergency care as quickly and safely as possible.”
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