Survey shows high satisfaction rate among patients at Mallow hospital
THE results of the latest survey undertaken to assess standards within Irish hospitals has given Mallow General Hospital (MGH) a largely clean bill of health.
Under the auspices of the second National Patient Experience Survey – undertaken in partnership with the HSE, HIQA and the Department of Health – more than 26,700 patients discharged from public acute hospitals around the country during the month of May asked to rate their experiences.
Mallow was among five facilities in Cork included within the survey, the others being Cork University Hospital, the Mercy University Hospital, the South Infirmary and Bantry General Hospital.
In the case of Mallow, 82 of the 150 patients asked went on to complete the survey, with 96 per cent of those reporting that they had a ‘good’ or ‘very good’ experience, compared to the national average of 84 per cent.
According to the survey, MGH achieved “above average” scores across every stage of care, with several areas of good experience identified by respondents. In particular, patients said that they had confidence and trust in the staff that treated them and that they had been given a clear explanation of the risks/benefits of treatment and of the expected outcomes of operations or procedures.
While the MGH scored above the national average on all of the survey questions, the report noted that “there was still room for improvement in some areas”, most notably in its discharge process.
In particular, 37 per cent of Mallow patients surveyed said they were not, or were only to some extent, told about ‘danger signals’ to watch out for after they went home.
The feedback from patients relating to their care on the ward was slightly higher than last year, with patients giving a 92 per cent approval rate compared to the national average of 83 per cent.
Patients commented that the care and treatment they received was “excellent”, with the hospital receiving particularly high ratings in terms of cleanliness and privacy.
Overall the MGH rated well within the survey with 79 per cent of people rating their overall experience as being very good (compared to the national average of 54 per cent); 17 per cent saying it was ‘good’; and just 4 per cent describing their stay as ‘fair to poor’ (compared to the national average of 16 per cent).