Health matters magazine Spring 2007 Item Type Report Authors Health Service Executive (HSE) Rights HSE Download date 28/09/2021 15:10:49 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10147/45209 Find this and similar works at - http://www.lenus.ie/hse Out of Hours Call for Platelet Occupational GP Service Donors Therapist D-Doc service launched for Irish Blood Transfusion Aoi Shibahara on why she the 500,000 people who live Service and Irish Cancer enjoys working in Mercy in north Dublin p11 Society call for more donors p14 University Hospital Cork p21 Volume3 Issue1 Spring2007 HealthNationalm Staff Newsletterat of thet Healthe Servicer Executives ‘Your Service Your Say’ Consumer Service Goes Live ollowing the launch of service will follow a nationally Affairs said: “We welcome the “Your Service, Your Say”, consistent approach. It provides views and experiences of those who F a new HSE consumer service a comprehensive process for the use our health services. It is through programme, it is now much easier management, informal resolution and their comment and feedback that we for anyone to make a comment the investigation of complaints. can best learn how to modify or complaint about any aspect of our services in order to provide a our service. People can have their say system which best meets the needs The programme went live on in a number of ways: of its users. January 1st last and will enable the > Speak to a member of staff HSE to respond more rapidly and with > Post – comment forms are available “A lot of what we do is very good greater consistency to concerns raised from local HSE services or can be but when we are providing so many by patients, clients and their families. downloaded from the HSE website services to so many people there A complaint can be made about > Email – [email protected] are going to be issues that may need something that was not done correctly, > HSE infoline – 1850 24 1850 to be resolved. This process will or something that should have been > Web – www.hse.ie ensure that the voice of consumers done but was not. Where services do is loudly heard and enable us to not operate as well as they should, the All staff have a responsibility to resolve tackle unresolved issues helping to HSE is committed to pinpointing the a complaint at the point of contact or ensure that they do not occur on a reason why, and setting right refer it to a Complaints Officer who regular basis.” any wrong. will respond to the complainant. The comments and complaints Mary Culliton, HSE Head of Consumer continued on p2 3 out of 4 Satisfied With Emergency Department Experience hree in every four patients (76%) were satisfied examined by a doctor. with their experience of the Emergency Department Following their initial assessment 50% of patients who T during 2006, a national survey has shown. needed to be examined by an Emergency Department doctor The patient survey was commissioned by the HSE and were examined within one hour of their initial assessment. A carried out by an independent organisation, the Irish further 25% were examined within three hours. A total of 2% Society for Quality and Safety in Healthcare, in partnership of all patients did not need to see a doctor and 2% left before with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Ipsos being examined by a doctor. MORI, Ireland. The survey’s primary aim was to capture an The survey involved detailed telephone interviews impartial national profile of the perceptions people have with 1,600 people around the country who attended of their Emergency Department experiences. an Emergency Department during 2006 and an analysis The majority of patients (86%) who said they had a choice of their responses. The results also highlight areas of services from which to attend would choose to go back to where improvements can be made and where further the same Emergency Department if needed in the future. research is required. Further patient surveys are Patients who reported that they received less planned for 2007 and their results should contribute information, advice and pain relief were more likely to be towards planning and implementing ongoing service dissatisfied. These patients were also more likely to have improvements. A full copy of the report is available on experienced longer waiting times with half (51%) waiting the HSE website www.hse.ie. more than three hours following initial assessment to be see also p17 Our Vision: Easy Access - Confidence - Staff Pride matters Health continued from p1 ‘Your Service Your Say’ Message Consumer Service Goes Live Di ary dates art 9 of the Health Act 2004 > Complainant to request a review of from the outlines the legislatory investigation within 30 working days P requirements to be met by the > Review Officer to be assigned within 16th April HSE and relevant Service Providers in 5 working days of request Safety in Numbers Editor the management of complaints. The > Review to be carried out within 20 Fourth National Immunisation conference statutory instrument (regulations) for working days 2007 Croke Park Dublin 3. the implementation of Part 9 of the Act > Complainant to be informed at all To register contact: Mary Dowling National was enacted in January. times of the right to an independent Immunisation Office In Health Matters we have introduced a few changes. As review of their complaint by the Email: [email protected] you turn the pages you will see that the four HSE Areas The key elements of the Ombudsman/ Ombudsman for Phone: 01 868 2942 now have their own pages. statutory instrument Children. You may have noticed that in the last edition we include: A two day mandatory training course tagged some stories with the name of the HSE Area they > The designation of Complaints for Complaint Officers was developed 16th April originated from. This time we have gone one better and Officers and Review Officers by HSE Consumer Affairs. The roll- National Conference decided to introduce Area pages. It’s all part of the on- > The development of procedures by out of this training commenced in Learning Disability Services going development of Health Matters as your national the HSE and Service Providers for December 2006 and will continue Sligo, Leitrim, West Cavan and staff newspaper. the management of complaints throughout 2007. Donegal Health Matters is co-ordinated from our offices here in > Complaints to be acknowledged In addition, information sessions Dr Steevens’ Hospital in Dublin but its production would within 5 working days will be provided to all staff over the Venue: Clarion Hotel, Sligo not be possible without the substantial editorial content > Informal resolution to be attempted coming months in the key elements For further information, please contact: generated from the four HSE Areas and professionally where appropriate of the Complaints Management Teresa O’Malley, Regional Nurse Practice reviewed in our Area Communications offices around the > Complaints investigated and processes by the Office of Consumer Development Co-ordinator, Intellectual country. completed within 30 working days. Affairs in conjunction with local Disability Services. It is important that writers generating stories from the Where this deadline cannot be met Complaint Officers. Staff handbooks E-mail: [email protected] HSE Areas work with the Area Communications offices the complainant will be informed outlining the key processes for the Phone: 074 91 88371/9188372 or to ensure that photographs, captions and content are as and kept updated every 20 days management of complaints have also 087 9912645 or professional as possible before they reach the desks of > Complaints Officer may make been developed. the editor and our graphic designers. recommendations post investigation John Truelove, Project Officer, Learning Generally a full page article in Health Matters with a > Executive/Service Provider to For further information, please Disability Services, Sligo/Leitrim, West photograph or two should be no more than 800 words in outline measures to be taken to contact Consumer Affairs at Cavan length. A half page no more than 300 – 400 words while implement recommendations 057 93 57618 or [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] a quarter page no more than about 200 words if there is Phone: 071 9155179 or 087 9181303 a photograph with the item. We have found that as Health Matters has become more established the quantity of material submitted has 25th April continued to grow. In order to include as much material Leadership For Every Day Leaders as possible it is therefore often necessary to edit down articles which run to thousands of words in length. Bunratty Shannon Shamrock Hotel, Please bear in mind also that it is not possible for us Bunratty, Co. Clare. to use photographs when they are pasted into word 8.45am - 4.30pm documents. The best way to send us a photograph 4th Annual Conference organised by is to email a .jpg file attachment with a caption also NMPDU HSE West (Limerick, Clare, including your name and contact details. In most cases Tipperary Nth) photographs without captions cannot be used. Phone: 091 591222 In this issue we have further highlighted the HSE Email: [email protected] Consumer service programme “Your Service, Your Say” which went live in January. We have also highlighted the important recent national survey on the experience 27th April of patients who used acute hospital Emergency The ORAL HEALTH PROMOTION Departments during 2006. RESEARCH GROUP - Irish link 2007 I hope you find this edition interesting and informative. conference, Tullamore Court Hotel, As always your comments, suggestions and ideas are Tullamore, Co Offaly. welcome. The email address to send your contributions to is [email protected] The deadline for the next edition is April 30th next.