Letterkenny University Hospital announces quality improvement plans

Letterkenny University Hospital (LUH) has made steps towards quality improvement plans for enhanced patient care

At a recent meeting at Letterkenny University Hospital (LUH), staff, managers and senior leaders from hospitals in the West and North West along with members of the National Care Experience Programme, HIQA, the Department of Health, and members of the LUH and National Patients Forums gathered to collaborate and share the ways they are improving services to their patients as a result of the National Inpatient Experience Programme.

The National Inpatient Experience Programme aims to improve the quality of health and social care services in Ireland by capturing patients' experiences and acting on their feedback. ​The survey, which is now in its sixth year, invited patients who spent 24 hours or more in a public acute hospital in May 2024 to share their experiences.

The 2024 survey saw over 30,000 patients from 40 acute public hospitals, including Letterkenny University Hospital (LUH) invited to take part and share their experiences.

With a response rate of 41%, 12,367 patients shared their valuable insights. Overall, from those who responded to the survey, 85% rated their overall hospital experience as good or very good.

However, the survey also highlighted areas for improvement, such as the need for better communication regarding post-discharge care, more time with doctors, and increased support for patients' concerns, including worries and fears.

Martina Porter, Quality and Patient Safety Manager at LUH said, ‘In response to these findings, LUH is pleased to announce a series of Quality Improvement Plans (QIPs) aimed at enhancing patient care and experience. ​ These initiatives are part of the ongoing commitment to providing high-quality healthcare services and ensuring patient satisfaction.’

​Some of the areas patients identified as needing improvement included patients who wanted to give feedback or make a complaint and did not know how or where to do so and also the provision of support for patients with Disabilities or Long-Term Conditions.

LUH are using the results of this survey to help us prioritise quality improvements for the coming year and as part of that we are introducing Patient Feedback Initiatives. These initiatives include Improved Feedback Accessibility with the increased availability of feedback forms by placing Perspex boxes in high visibility areas near ward entrances and exits.

New posters with QR codes will be placed at each bedside, providing information on how to make a complaint or give feedback. Staff awareness information sessions will be conducted for clinical and non-clinical staff to support the patient feedback process. LUH will also be increasing patient partner feedback so complaints will be reviewed quarterly with the Patient and the Family Experience Group to identify areas for improvement.

One of the initiatives LUH will also introduce is support for Patients with Disabilities or Long-Term Conditions. These supports will include the ‘Hello My Name Is’ campaign to help patients with disabilities identify staff members, improving communication, ​ HSE Health Passport Promotion which Encourages the use of the Health Passport for patients with intellectual disabilities to better communicate their needs, including information about John’s Campaign in the Patient Information Booklet to support patients with disabilities and their carers and recruiting patient partners with disabilities to the Patient and Family Experience Group to ensure their representation. ​

​Angie Gallagher from the LUH Patient and Family Experience Forum delivered a wonderful and very informative presentation on a series of initiatives that have been developed at LUH over the last six months in improving user experience for children and adults with intellectual challenges and neurodiversity conditions.

The initiatives have gone down extremely well with both the patients and their families, and even though they have only been implemented over the last five months, various elements are already being adopted by other hospitals within the West North West region.

In addition, LUH will be promoting education sessions and online modules to enhance staff communications skills, designing and displaying posters to inform patients about available pastoral supports and enhancing the use of Patient Information Booklets and ensuring effective discharge planning with clear communication and support information.

Seán Murphy, LUH Manager said, ‘We would like to thank all the staff at Letterkenny University Hospital for their hard work and dedication in improving patient care. We are committed to delivering the highest quality of care to our patients. The National Inpatient Experience Survey provides invaluable insights that help us understand our patients' needs and improve our services. ​ We encourage all eligible patients to participate and share their experiences."​