Findings of the 2024 National Inpatient Experience Survey have been published

In total, 12,367 patients who were discharged from a public acute hospital in May 2024 took part in the survey, sharing feedback on their experience of care in Irish hospitals.

The survey revealed that the majority of respondents (85%) rated their hospital care experience positively, with 58% rating their care as “very good” and 27% as “good”.

Compared to 2022 survey findings, the 2024 results show that patients’ rating of their overall care experiences have improved, particularly regarding being discharged from hospital, which had consistently received the lowest scores in previous surveys.

In 2024, patients indicated positive interactions with healthcare staff:

• 83.8% reported they always felt treated with respect and dignity
• 79.1% always had confidence and trust in hospital staff
• 78.7% reported adequate pain management
• 79% felt fully confident in the safety of their treatment and care.

Despite overall positive feedback, patients identified a number of key areas to be improved, and highlighted long waiting times in the emergency department:

• 19.7% said they were unable to find staff to discuss their worries
• 15.3% reported not receiving enough information on managing their condition post-discharge
• 13.4% said their family did not have enough opportunities to talk to a doctor
• 72.6% reported waiting longer than six hours before being admitted to a ward, with 1,078 people (13.4%) waiting more than 24 hours.

The National Inpatient Experience Survey 2024 also found differences in patient experiences across socioeconomic groups when analysed against the level of deprivation where they live, as calculated by the Pobal HP Deprivation Index.

The survey found that patients from disadvantaged areas were more likely to report being treated with respect and dignity while in hospital, to report that hospital staff introduced themselves, and to have higher satisfaction with hospital food in comparison to those from affluent areas. In contrast, patients from affluent areas were less likely to feel they received adequate information on managing their condition post-discharge.

The national report and local results for each hospital can be seen here.