National Inpatient Experience Survey underway at local hospital

The sixth National Inpatient Experience Survey is now underway in Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore.

This annual survey — the largest of its kind in Ireland — offers patients the opportunity to share their experiences of healthcare and tell us what is working well and what improvements they believe are necessary. This provides a clear picture of the safety and quality of care in Irish hospitals, as seen through the eyes of patients.

Almost 32,000 patients are eligible to participate in this year’s survey. 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.

The National Inpatient Experience Survey asks 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. All patients aged over 16 years-of-age who spent 24 hours or more in Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore and were discharged during the month of May are eligible to participate in the survey.

HIQA’s Director of National Care Experience Programme, Rachel Flynn said: “I would like to encourage all eligible patients to tell us about their recent experiences of care in Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore. By sharing your views, you will provide us with invaluable information on the improvements that are necessary to deliver a more person-centred health service in your area. It is by listening and learning from your experiences that we can bring about effective and sustainable changes across the healthcare services.”

Catriona McDonald, General Manager, Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore commented: “Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore would like to invite all eligible patients to take part in the sixth annual National Inpatient Experience Survey. This survey gives us the opportunity to learn from your experience in our hospital and bring about meaningful change. It is really valuable to us as a hospital that we understand what we are doing well and more importantly, where we can improve.”

To find out more about the survey, watch the animation here or visit the website