FAQs

Select from the surveys below to help you find relevant questions

Maternity Bereavement Survey
End of Life Survey
Nursing Home Survey
Inpatient Survey
Maternity Survey
General
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What is the National Maternity Bereavement Experience Survey?

The National Maternity Bereavement Experience Survey captures the experiences of bereaved women and their partners following a second trimester miscarriage, a stillborn infant or the early neonatal death of a baby.

The purpose of the survey is to learn about the bereavement care provided in Ireland’s maternity units and hospitals in order to improve the safety and quality of Ireland’s maternity bereavement services.

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Who is running the survey?

The survey is being carried out by the National Care Experience Programme (NCEP). The NCEP is a partnership between the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Department of Health.

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What is in scope for this survey?

In any one survey it is very difficult to capture all experiences therefore it is important to have a clear scope so the questions in the survey are relevant.  Based on engagement it was agreed to define the scope for this survey as women and their partners who experienced a second trimester miscarriage (from 14 weeks of pregnancy), the stillbirth of a baby or the early neonatal death of a baby in one of Ireland’s 19 maternity units or hospitals between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2021. In order to complete the survey, participants must have been 16 years or older at the time of their loss.

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Is early pregnancy loss included?

No. Early pregnancy loss includes early miscarriages (<12 weeks gestation) Early miscarriage generally refers to pregnancy loss before 12 weeks of pregnancy., molar pregnancy Molar pregnancy is a non-viable pregnancy that involves the development of abnormal cells in the
womb.
and ectopic pregnancyEctopic pregnancy is a pregnancy that develops outside the womb..

Women who experience early pregnancy loss in many cases are cared for in outpatient or general practice (GP) settings, many do not require admission to hospital for care. Some women with first trimester miscarriage do not interact with healthcare services at all.

Considering the differences in care settings, contact with healthcare services and treatment options, women’s maternity care experiences of early pregnancy loss are different to women who experience 2nd trimester miscarriage and perinatal loss.

To understand women and their partners experiences of care following early pregnancy loss would require a survey questionnaire with questions specific and relevant to their care needs as well as the services provided.

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Where can I find the results of the survey?

The results of the National Maternity Bereavement Experience Survey are published on our website.

Participants
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What type of questions were asked in the survey?

The survey asked about experiences of maternity bereavement care, including:

  • communication & information- diagnosis
  • admission care
  • labour & birth
  • care after birth and meeting your baby
  • neonatal care
  • postnatal care
  • bereavement care
  • post-mortem examination
  • discharge care
  • follow up care
  • overall care

 

The survey also included a number of free text questions where you could provide additional information about your experiences.

There was an individual section in the questionnaire that can be completed by the partner who has supported you during your care and pregnancy loss.

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What do you do with my answers?

All responses to the survey will be anonymised, combined and analysed. A report on the findings of the survey will be available in 2023 on http://www.yourexperience.ie. The HSE will use the findings of the survey to introduce improvements to maternity bereavement care.

You can sign up hereto be notified when the results are available.

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Will my answers be treated confidentially?

Yes. The survey is completely confidential and anonymous and no identifying information about you will be collected. All answers will be processed in strict confidence. Maternity hospitals and units will be provided with anonymous responses only. Survey answers will solely be used to analyse and report on maternity bereavement care; they will not be shared with commercial entities or used for commercial purposes. Anonymised data from the survey may be analysed in the future by health service researchers under agreed conditions.

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Does the National Maternity Bereavement Experience Survey comply with data protection laws?

Yes. The National Maternity Bereavement Experience Survey complies with data protection laws including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018. Further details can be found on www.yourexperience.ie.

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Who can I contact if I need support?

If you are impacted by any issues with regard to maternity bereavement and would like information or support, or if you would like to provide feedback on your experience of maternity bereavement care, you can do so by contacting the Patient Advocacy Service on 0818 293 003 or at info@patientadvocacyservice.ie.

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Where can I find out more?

More information is available on our website www.yourexperience.ie. You can also ring our Freephone number on 1800 314 093 (Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm), email us at info@yourexperience.ie or write to us at:

The National Maternity Bereavement Experience Survey
c/o Health Information and Quality Authority
George’s Court,
George’s Lane,
Dublin 7,
D07 E98Y

General
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What is the National End of Life Survey?

The National End of Life Survey is a nationwide survey asking bereaved people about the care provided to their relatives and friends in the last months and days of their life. The purpose of the survey is to learn from people’s experiences of end-of-life care in order to improve the services provided both to people who are dying, and to their loved ones.

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Who is running the survey?

The National End of Life Survey is part of the National Care Experience Programme — a partnership between the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Department of Health.

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Who was invited to participate in the survey in 2023?

Individuals who registered the death of a family member or friend that occurred between 1 September and 31 December 2022, were invited to participate in the survey and received a survey pack in the post between March and May 2023.

The National End of Life Survey asked bereaved relatives about the end-of-life care provided to their loved ones in hospitals, hospices, nursing homes and the home. Sudden, maternal and child deaths were not included in the survey, as the care pathways in these circumstances are different.

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When did the survey take place?

The survey took place between March and July 2023.

Participants
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What type of questions are asked in the survey?

The survey includes questions on pain management, respect and dignity, emotional support, communication with healthcare staff and the provision of information.

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What do you do with my answers?

All responses to the National End of Life Survey will be anonymised, analysed and combined to produce a report on the quality of care provided at end of life in Ireland. The findings of the survey will be used to introduce improvements at both local and national levels.
You can see the results for 2023 here.

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Will my answers be treated confidentially?

Yes. Your answers are processed in strict confidence and kept separate from your contact details. Anonymised responses are retained solely for analysis; they are not given to commercial entities or used for commercial purposes.

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Does the National End of Life Survey comply with data protection laws?

Yes. The National End of Life Survey complies with data protection laws including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018. Your contact details are used for the sole purpose of sending you the survey. Further details can be found here.

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Who can I contact if I need support?

Irish Hospice Foundation

The HSE, in partnership with the Irish Hospice Foundation, provides a helpline to support people who have experienced the death of a family member or friend. You can call this Freephone service on 1800 80 70 77 to talk to a bereavement support volunteer or access support through the website www.bereaved.ie. The Freephone service is available from 10am to 1pm, Monday to Friday.

Samaritans

Samaritans provide emotional support for anyone who is struggling to cope or needs someone to listen to them without judgement or pressure. You can contact Samaritans 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on Freephone 116 123 or by emailing jo@samaritans.ie. For more information, please visit www.samaritans.ie .

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Where can I find out more about the survey?

More information is available on our website yourexperience.ie. You can also ring our Freephone number on 1800 314093 (Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm),  email us at info@yourexperience.ie, or write to us at:

The National End of Life Survey
c/o Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA)
George’s Court, George’s Lane
Dublin 7/D07 E98Y

General
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What is the National Nursing Home Experience Survey?

The National Nursing Home Experience Survey is a new survey of nursing home care in Ireland. The survey asks nursing home residents and their loved ones about their experiences in order to improve the safety and quality of nursing home care.

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Who is running the survey?

The National Nursing Home Experience Survey is part of the National Care Experience Programme — a partnership between the Heath Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Department of Health.

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Who was invited to participate in the 2022 survey?

A selection of nursing homes, representative of the entire population of nursing homes in Ireland, was selected to participate in the survey.

People who lived in participating nursing homes at the time of the survey, and one family member or friend (a designated representative) of each resident, were invited to take part in the survey.

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When did the survey take place?

The survey took place between March and May 2022.

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Where can I find the results of the survey?

The results of the National Nursing Home Experience Survey are published on our website.

For survey participants
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What types of questions were asked in the survey?

You can view the survey questionnaires on our website:

2022 Resident survey questionnaire

2022 Designated Representative survey questionnaire 

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What will you do with my answers?

All responses to the National Nursing Home Experience Survey will be anonymised, analysed and combined to produce a report on the quality of care provided in Irish nursing homes. The findings of the survey will be used to introduce improvements at both local and national levels.

You can sign up here to be notified when the results are available.

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Will my answers be treated confidentially?

Yes. Your answers will be processed in strict confidence and kept separately from your contact details. Your answers will solely be used to analyse and report on nursing home care. Anonymised data from the National Nursing Home Experience Survey may be used for secondary analysis in the future by health service researchers under agreed conditions. They will not be shared with commercial entities or used for commercial purposes.

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Does the National Nursing Home Experience Survey comply with data protection laws?

Yes. The National Nursing Home Experience Survey complies with data protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018. Your contact details will be used for the sole purpose of inviting you to take part in the survey. Further details can be found at www.yourexperience.ie.

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Where can I find out more?

More information is available on our nursing home survey section

Freephone
1800 314 093

Email
info@yourexperience.ie

Postal Address
The National Nursing Home Experience Survey
c/o Health Information and Quality Authority
George’s Court
George’s Lane
Dublin 7
D07 E98Y

General
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What is the National Inpatient Experience Survey?

The National Inpatient Experience Survey is a nationwide survey asking patients about their recent experiences in hospital. The purpose of the survey is to learn from patients’ feedback in order to improve hospital care. Read more about the survey here.

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Who is running the survey?

The National Care Experience Programme is running the survey. The Programme is a partnership between the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Department of Health. HIQA, as lead partner, employs a third party data processor, Ipsos/Behaviour & Attitudes, to assist with the administration of the survey.

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Who was invited to participate in the survey in 2024?

Anyone aged 16 years and over, who spent a minimum of 24 hours in a public hospital, was discharged in May 2024 and has an address in the Republic of Ireland was asked to complete the survey.

For survey participants
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How did you get my name and address?

Your contact details were provided by your hospital to enable us to send you the survey. They will be deleted as soon as the survey is complete.

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What will you do with my answers?

All survey responses will be combined to produce reports on patients’ experiences of hospital care in Ireland, which will be made publicly available on www.yourexperience.ie. The results of previous surveys and the quality improvement actions arising from them can also be found on our website.

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Will my answers be treated confidentially?

Yes. Your answers will be processed in strict confidence and kept separate from your contact details.

Once anonymised, survey responses will be retained for additional analysis, including comparisons with future National Inpatient Experience Surveys. The data will also be used to compare, with the aim of improving, the experiences of different communities in Ireland based on the sociodemographic conditions of the areas where participants live. The data may be analysed by health service researchers under agreed conditions.

The data will not be given to commercial entities or used for commercial purposes.

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I experienced a patient safety incident while I was in hospital, what should I do?

The survey asks about patient safety incidents.* This information will be aggregated and only used to support national learning. The information provided in individual survey responses will not be investigated and you will not receive a response. If you experienced a patient safety incident and wish to report it and receive a response, you should contact the hospital where the incident occurred. Details of how to make a complaint about a HSE service can be found on the HSE website https://www2.hse.ie/complaints-feedback/
* A patient safety incident is an incident (an event or circumstance) that could have resulted, or did result, in unnecessary injury or harm to you or put you at risk of injury or harm.

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Does the National Inpatient Experience Survey comply with data protection laws?

Yes. The National Inpatient Experience Survey complies with data protection laws including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Your information, such as your name, contact details age and gender will be used to include you in the survey. No information about your medical history will be used to carry out the survey. Further details can be found on www.yourexperience.ie.

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What type of questions will I be asked?

The survey asks questions about your admission to hospital, the ward environment, your care and treatment, interaction with staff and your discharge from hospital.

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Where can I find out more?

More information is available on the Inpatient Survey section of our website. You can also call our Freephone number on 1800 314093, email us at info@yourexperience.ie or write to us at:

The National Inpatient Experience Survey
c/o Health Information and Quality Authority
George’s Court
George’s Lane
Dublin 7
D07 E98Y

General
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What is the National Maternity Experience Survey?

The National Maternity Experience Survey is a nationwide survey asking women who have given birth about the maternity care they received. The purpose of the survey is to learn from the experiences of women to improve the safety and quality of Ireland’s maternity services. Read more about the survey.

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Who is running the survey?

The National Maternity Experience Survey is part of the National Care Experience Programme — a partnership between the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Department of Health. Read more about who we are.

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Who participated in the survey?

Women aged 16 or over who gave birth in October (or November*) 2019 and had a postal address in the Republic of Ireland were invited to participate in the National Maternity Experience Survey.

*To ensure an adequate sample size, women who gave birth in smaller Irish hospitals in November 2019 were also eligible to participate in the survey. See the full list of hospitals here.

We have developed a separate survey for women who experience a pregnancy loss, a stillbirth or a neonatal death – the National Maternity Bereavement Experience Survey.

For survey participants
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What type of questions were asked in the survey?

The survey asked about women’s experience of care during their pregnancy, during labour and birth, and care after their baby was born.

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What do you do with responses?

All responses to the survey have been combined and reported on this website. To see the national report, please click here and to see the individual hospital reports, please see here. You can also find a response for each report, outlining the HSE’s response to the findings of the survey.

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Does the National Maternity Experience Survey comply with data protection laws?

Yes. The National Maternity Experience Survey complies with data protection laws including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018. Visit our Information Governance page for more details.

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I have been bereaved by the loss of my baby – where can I seek support?

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Ireland provides a directory of support services and knowledge for bereaved parents.

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Where can I find out more?

More information is available on our Maternity survey section

 

Freephone 1800 314093 (Monday –­ Friday, 9am – 5pm)

 

Email info@yourexperience.ie 

 

Postal Address 
The National Maternity Experience Survey

c/o Health Information and Quality Authority
George’s Court
George’s Lane
Dublin 7
D07 E98Y

For GPs
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Why is the survey relevant to GPs?

The National Maternity Experience Survey includes questions on the full pathway of maternity care, from antenatal care, through labour and birth, to postnatal care in the community. As a GP, you may have treated a woman who participated in the survey.

For public health nurses
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Why is the survey relevant to PHNs?

The National Maternity Experience Survey includes questions on the full pathway of maternity care, from antenatal care, through labour and birth, to postnatal care in the community. As a public health nurse, you may have treated a woman who participated in the survey.

Maternity Bereavement Survey

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End of Life Survey

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Nursing Home Survey

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Inpatient Survey

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Maternity Survey

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