Patients treated with ‘respect and dignity’
82% OF PEOPLE WERE SATISFIED WITH THEIR TREATMENT AT OUR LADY OF LOURDES
The results of the National Patient Experience Survey 2017 at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital show that just over half of the participants were happy with the way their admission and care on the ward was handled.
The results outlined in the report reflect the experiences of patients who were discharged from Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital during the month of May 2017. In total, 546 paticipants from the hospital took part in the survey.
Although referred to as Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, the results refer to both the Lourdes and the Louth County Hospital in Dundalk.
The survey asked 61 questions based on five stages of care along the patient journey in hospital: admissions, care on the ward, examinations, diagnosis and treatment, discharge or tansfer and other aspects of care.
Of those who took part in the survey, 58% were female and 42% were male with an average age of 63 years. 84% of participants had entered hospital on an emergency basis.
The majority of people (82%) also agreed that they were always treated with respect and dignity.
However, half of those surveyed said they could not always find someone to talk to about their worries and fears and 42% were disappointed with the way their discharge or transfer from hospital was handled.
The results of the survey also show that 71% waited longer than six hours before being admitted to a ward and 54% did not receive any written information about what they should or should not do after leaving hospital.
A further 44% were not always told how they could expect to feel after an operation or procedure.
Overall, patients’ ratings of their experiences at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital were below the national average.
79% of patients at the Lourdes said they had a ‘very good’ or ‘good’ experience, compared with 84% nationally.
Several areas across each stage of care were identified as needing improvement.
In relation to admission, the large majority of patients reported waiting more than six hours in the emergency department.
Patients also reported a lack of privacy when being examined or treated in the emergency department.
Some patients reported negative experiences in terms of communication with hospital staff and felt they were not involved in decisions about their care and treatment or that they did not understand the explanations given by doctors or nurses about their care and treatment.
Others found it difficult to talk to someone about their worries and fears.