New engagement strategy rolled out for Mayo hospital
The Saolta University Health Care Group has today published the first group-wide Patient and Public Engagement Strategy 2020-2023.
This strategy builds on work which has taken place over the last number of years in each of the Saolta Group hospitals, to improve and embed positive patient and public engagement.
The strategy is based around three key themes that emerged during the consultation process undertaken to develop it.
These are communications; working with others and working in partnership with patients, families and carers.
There are projects identified to bring these themes to life over the next three years.
Some of the initiatives already underway include the rollout of the national communications programme for clinical teams and optimising the use of technology and eHealth initiatives to enhance patient communication.
Commenting Tony Canavan Saolta Group CEO, said, “The Saolta Group is committed to further developing a culture of strong engagement with our patients and our communities.
"We know that listening and learning from our patients’ experience enables us to deliver better care and improves health outcomes.”
Paul Hooton, Saolta Group Chief Director of Nursing and Midwifery, added: “We know our patients and their carers want to be engaged in decisions about their health, and those who are more engaged generally experience better outcomes.
"Over the next three years through the implementation of this strategy our intention is to build on work already underway.
"This will include ensuring patients are involved in decisions about their own care and seeking patient feedback about their experiences.
"This work will be led by the directors of nursing on each of our hospital sites and I look forward to supporting them.”
Dr Pádraig Ó Lúanaigh, Director of Nursing at Mayo University Hospital (MUH), stated: “We remain firmly committed to the development of a strong culture of patient and public engagement here in MUH.
"We know from feedback from our patients that the greater level of involvement and understanding they have about their care the less anxiety they feel about their condition and their health outcomes are generally better.
"Over the next three years we will work hard to build on the initiatives in place here in MUH to ensure the patient’s voice is at the centre of all we do.”
Copies of the Patient and Public Engagement Strategy 2020-2023 are available to download from: https://saolta.ie/documents/saolta-patient-and-public-engagement-strategy-2020-23