Galway Bay fm newsroom - The results of a major national survey of Irish hospitals has revealed that most patients at Galway's hospitals experienced a good level of care.
The annual National Inpatient Experience Survey covers topics such as admission, privacy, care and treatment, staff interaction and discharge process.
The National Inpatient Experience Survey is the largest of its kind in Ireland and aims to assess what's working well in the health service - and what could be improved.
At Galway University Hospitals - consisting of UHG and Merlin Park - 58% had a 'very good' overall experience; 27% had a 'good' experience; while 15% rated their experience 'fair to poor'.
Both hospitals were rated 8.3 out of 10 by patients in the areas of 'Care on the ward' and 'Examination, Diagnosis & Treatment'.
While the 'Admission to Hospital' experience was rated 7.7 out of 10, and'Discharge or Transfer' received an overall rating of 7.3.
Areas identified as needing improvement included the level of privacy afforded to patients, and the quality of food on offer - but interaction with staff and availability of information was commended.
Meanwhile, at Portiuncula, 56% of patients surveyed rated their overall experience as 'very good'; 30% had a 'good' experience; while 14% had a 'fair to poor' experience at the Ballinasloe hospital.
Portiuncula was rated 8.2 out of 10 in the areas of 'Admission to hospital' and 'Examination, Diagnosis & Treatment'.
It received a rating of 8.5 from patients for 'Care on the Ward' - the highest rating given to any Galway hospital.
However, it received a 6.9 from patients for their experiences of 'Discharge or Transfer' at the Ballinasloe facility.
The level of information offered upon discharge was one area identified by patients as needing improvement - while the cleanliness of Portiuncula hospital and quality of food was commended.
