Patient Rights

Patient Rights and Our Commitment to You

At UPMC, our patients come first. Our staff focus on providing you high-quality, patient-centered care. We welcome all feedback and suggestions.

You have the right to the following:

Medical Care and Treatment:

• Appropriate and timely medical care that is in your best interest.
• Considerate and respectful medical care that acknowledges your spiritual and religious beliefs.
• Care delivered in a clean and safe environment.
• A second opinion without fear of compromise to your care.

Information:

• Information you need and require about your medical condition and treatment.
• Information about the staff involved in your care.
• Information about the hospital services and how much they cost.

We promise to:

• Introduce ourselves and explain what we are doing.
• Answer your questions to the best of our abilities.
• Maintain the highest levels of sanitation protocols to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and other illnesses.
• Check your identification band before giving you medication.
• Respond to your call in a timely manner.
• Communicate about your plan of care.

Consent:

• You have an entitlement to participate in any decisions about medical tests, procedures and treatments you will receive.
• You will need to give your consent before any procedures or treatments can proceed.

Feedback/Complaints/Compliments:

UPMC in Ireland values your comments and views about our services. We aim to provide you with the highest levels of service and care. All patients admitted to our hospitals are invited to complete our satisfaction survey. You can leave this at the nurses' station or in your room prior to discharge. All patient satisfaction surveys are reviewed by the Director of Quality and Patient Safety.

If you are not happy with any aspect of your care whilst in hospital, please ask to speak with the nurse in charge who will endeavour to resolve the issue or escalate it to the Director of Quality and Patient Safety.

We welcome your feedback about the service we provide. If you have any suggestions about any aspect of our service please:

• Tell a staff member and they will try to help you to solve any issue immediately.
• Write to or contact the Director of Quality and Patient Safety.
• Add your complaint in the Feedback section of the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire.

Your comments, suggestions, and concerns are welcome and valued. They allow us to continually improve our services.

We promise to:

• Pass on any praise and act on comments.
• Handle concerns and personal details in confidence without prejudice.
• Issue a clear written response to every formal written complaint.

If at any stage you feel that your concern has not been fully addressed or would like to appeal its outcome, please detail concerns in writing to the Director of Quality and Patient Safety, UPMC in Ireland, UPMC Whitfield Hospital, North Cork Road, Waterford, X91 DH9W.