A survey of patients attending University Hospital Kerry found the vast majority had a good or very good experience at the hospital.
79% of participants in the National Inpatient Experience Survey, had either a good or very good experience in UHK.
Those who took part in the survey praised hospital staff, but 20% waited more than 24 hours in the emergency department before admission to a ward.
234 patients responded to the 52-question survey, with 46% noting they had a very good experience in the hospital.
32% of respondents said they had a good experience, while over 20% said their experience was fair or poor.
UHK scored highly in opportunities for family members to talk to a doctor, while almost half referenced the staff in an open-ended question on what was good about their care.
UHK was graded poorly on wait times in the Emergency Department, while 9% said that they didn’t get help from staff in time to get to the toilet.
20% of respondents waited more than 24 hours in the Emergency Department before admission to a ward, higher than the national average of 13%.
31% waited between 12-24 hours in the ED before being moved to a ward, 30% waited between 6-12 hours, and 18% waited under six hours.
Two thirds said they always got answers they could understand when they had important questions for nurses or doctors in the ED, but 23% said they weren’t given enough information about their condition or treatment.
22% said they were not able to find someone to talk to about their worries and fears, and 14% did not feel comfortable to speak out about anything they wished to raise with hospital staff.
72% said the hospital was very clean, 83% said they always had enough privacy when examined or treated, and 82% felt they were treated with respect and dignity.
Over 70% said they definitely felt confident in the safety of their treatment and care, but almost half of people who wanted to give feedback or make a complaint did not know how and where to do so.
