NI Patient Experience Survey shows fewer complaints in Western area

A Patient Experience Survey which has just been published in Northern Ireland shows that in 2017, there were fewer complaints from patients in the Western Trust than in any other area.
Over 90% of people were satisfied with their treatment in Emergency Departments and hospital wards, with just over 40% describing their experience as “excellent”.

There are two acute hospitals in the Western Health and Social; Services Trust area, Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry and the South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen.
37% of patients responded to the survey in the region, the same as the overall response rate for Northern
Ireland.
Among the findings is that 70% of respondents rated hospital food to be good or very good, higher than the overall average. Bathroom hygiene also rated highly, with 79% describing bathrooms and toilets as very clean, compared with 71% of respondents overall.
A higher proportion of respondents in the Western Trust reported better communication with staff, particularly in terms of discussions about medication side effects before discharge.
16% of the respondents in the Western Trust area indicated there was some aspect of
their care that they were dissatisfied with. Of these, 26% had made a verbal complaint to ward staff and 6% had made a written complaint.
A similar survey is being carried out this month in the republic, with patients admitted during May asked to participate.
The full report can be viewed at –
https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/articles/inpatient-patient-experience-survey