Regina Doherty
Question:651. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Health the changes and practices that have been introduced since the 2011 ISQSH Patient Survey; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54338/12]
View answerTuesday, 4 December 2012
Questions (651)
Written answers
All forms of patient feedback received by the HSE about patients' experience of health services are combined with the results of other methods of patient feedback to inform the ongoing work of the Quality and Patient Safety Directorate which aims to:
1) improve patient experience of health services
2) improve performance related outcome measures for patients.
This feedback includes hundreds of compliments, comments and complaints received on a daily and weekly basis as well as the results of the 2011 ISQSH survey.
Patient feedback is part of a wider, progressive quality improvement agenda which over the past ten years has developed huge momentum and is taken very seriously by all levels of the organisation. Patient feedback has informed the work of the National Advocacy Unit, who developed in partnership with all key stakeholders, including staff, management and service users the National Healthcare Charter 'You and Your Health Service'. The National Healthcare Charter, is a Statement of Commitment by the HSE describing what service users can expect when using health services in Ireland, and what they can do to help Irish health services to deliver more effective and safe services. It is based on eight principles which underpin high quality, people-centred care.
The National Advocacy Unit has delivered information sessions to 40 acute hospital and community services in 2012 on the following:
1) implementing the National Healthcare Charter
2) improving patient experience
3) developed resources aimed at both staff and patients to promote concepts outlined in the National Healthcare Charter
4) using patient feedback to inform quality improvement
5) being accountable for quality improvements made based on patient feedback
6) working closely with clinical programmes, using patient feedback to inform the design, development and evaluation of the clinical programmes
7) developing training for staff which uses patient stories to demonstrate what has worked well and what requires improvement
Other work and initiatives of the National Advocacy Unit include:
- Development of 'It’s safer to ask' leaflet, which aims to empower patients and service users to ask questions and get the information that they require.
- Development of 'You said we did' webpage, which uses specific examples of how patient feedback was used to introduce quality improvement.
- Introduction of the Open Disclosure policy and roll out of training.
- Facilitating setting up of the Patient Safety Champions network, which is based on the World Health Organisation initiative, Patients for Patient Safety. Expressions of interest were received and a workshop will be held in early 2013.