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Patient Administration

Your Healthcare Records

Accessing your Records

All requests for a copy of records must be received in writing. To receive a copy of your own and/or your baby’s healthcare record, we suggest that you complete the routine access request form below and we will send you the records within 30 calendar days.

FOI requests should be processed within 20 working days and data protection requests within 30 calendar days.  However, there are some circumstances where it may take longer.  We will advise you of this and of your rights of appeal under the legislation.

You can send your request in writing or complete the Routine Access Request Form.doc  (click to download)

Your request needs to contain the following:

  • Your name at the time you were a patient, if it differs from your present name
  • Your date of birth
  • Your address at the time of treatment
  • Details of the information you are looking for (for example, requesting a copy of your maternity record relating to the birth of your baby on January 5th 2002)
  • Your present home address and telephone contact details
  • A photocopy of photo ID – either your passport or your driving licence.  Please note that your ID must match the name on the records you are seeking, otherwise we may require you to provide us with further details
  • If you are currently pregnant please include this information
  • Any additional information which you feel is important to your request

You can send your request to us by post to:

Routine Access Section,
Quality and Patient Safety Department,
The Rotunda Hospital,
Parnell Square,
Dublin 1.

By e-mail to: [email protected]

Important

If you will be leaving the country before your records are expected to be ready, you must ensure that we have up to date contact details for you, including a phone number so that we can contact you as we process your request. 

You may either consent to us sending your records to a postal address in Ireland if you are happy for someone else to receive your records or we can send them to you abroad.

Allowing somebody else to access your records:

  • There may be times when you want somebody else to access your records, for example, your GP, consultant or a family member.
  • We will only give your records to someone else when we have your consent to do so.
  • Requests should be made as stated above, but we must also receive a letter signed by you, stating that you give your consent to the release of the records.
  • We will also need a copy of your passport or driving licence.
  • We may contact you about the request to release your records.

How long will the request take?

We will try to have your records ready for you in 30 days. However, sometimes it can take longer. We will send you an acknowledgement letter when we start to process your request, which will give you an indication of the timeframe. Please give us as much notice as possible.

How will I get the records?

Your records will be released to you by encrypted email or regular post.

You can email your request to [email protected]

For any queries about accessing records, please call 01 817 1751.

Download Your Routine Access Request Form

How you can access your Records

You have a right to access the information we hold about you. Requests can be made in writing to the Quality and Patient Safety Department, The Rotunda Hospital, Parnell Square, Dublin 1 or by email [email protected].  

You also have the right under the Freedom of Information Act 2014 to access information held by public bodies. You have the right to request access to any information held by the Hospital, subject to exemptions set out in the Act.  An application form can be downloaded here or you can send your request by email to [email protected].

Birth Notification & Registration

Please be advised, during your in-patient stay you will NO longer meet with a member of the birth notification team as all required details for birth registration purposes is sent directly to the civil registration services.

However, if there are any details unavailable to us, you will receive a phone call from a member of our team.

To register your baby in Dublin, Wicklow or Kildare you will need an appointment. There is now an online appointment system in place, to avail of this service, please logon to www.HSE.ie Civil Registration Service (births, deaths & marriages) and follow the prompts.

To register baby anywhere else in the country, contact your preferred Civil Registration Office as they may have a walk-in service.

NB: For marriages not registered within the Republic of Ireland, you must provide your original marriage certificate and if necessary a certified translation at the time of registration.

DAHR Registration contact details:

[email protected]

Accessing Records of the Deceased

The Rotunda Hospital believes that all patient information has been provided to us confidentially and you may not be given access to another person’s records. Applications for the personal information of someone who is deceased are only processed under the Freedom of Information Act. Each request is considered based on the information provided.

The death certificate of the deceased must accompany the request along with proof of your relationship.

You can send your request to us by post to:
Freedom of Information Section,
Quality and Patient Safety Department,
The Rotunda Hospital,
Parnell Square,
Dublin 1.

By e-mail to: [email protected]

Fees:

Fees may apply for some personal records, for example copies of x-rays.  Once we commence working on your request we will be in contact with you regarding any fees that may apply.

Making a payment:

  • Do not send cash in the post
  • Cheques and postal orders can be made payable to “The Rotunda Hospital”
  • Cash payments accompanied with your letter outlining fees will be accepted at the Patient Accounts Department in the Hospital

How long will the request take?

Your request should be processed within 28 calendar days. However, there are some circumstances where it may take longer.  We will advise you of this and of your rights of appeal under the legislation.

Freedom of Information & Data Protection Law

The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act allows for members of the public to make applications for their own personal records, the records of others and the corporate documents of the organisation.

It also allows for records to be amended and for you to have reasons for decisions explained to you.

Data protection law ensures that we will only use the personal data and information you give to us or that is created while you are attending the hospital only for the purpose that you intended i.e. providing you with the best care while you are pregnant and following the birth of your baby. We are required to keep your records safe, accurate and up to date.

Patient Rights

Consent to treatment

It is the philosophy of the Rotunda to allow patients to make decisions about their care by giving them all the information they need.

Before a doctor or other healthcare professional examines or treats you, they need your consent.

Consent is about you and the healthcare staff agreeing together on the best way forward for your treatment, based on you telling them your preferences and values and the healthcare staff’s clinical knowledge.

  • Sometimes you can simply tell them whether you agree with their suggestions.
  • You can give consent verbally or implied, such as holding out your arm for bloods to be taken.
  • Sometimes we need a written record of your decision, for example if your treatment involves sedation or general anaesthesia.
  • We will then ask you to sign a consent form.
  • If you later change your mind, you can withdraw or take back your consent, even after signing the form, anytime up until you are having your procedure.

As a general rule, we cannot give you an operation, procedure or treatment without your consent, as long as you are deemed to be a competent adult – that you can understand the proposed treatment.

By law we have to give you all of the information you need and get your consent for an operation, procedure or treatment and it is also an accepted part of good medical practice.

Sometimes in obstetrics, we may need consent to treatment in an emergency situation, with only a little time to talk about all of the issues with you.

Please discuss any concerns you may have with a doctor or midwife.

Interpreter Service

A private company provides interpretation services in the Rotunda. If you want an interpreter because you cannot speak or understand English well, please tell staff when you make an appointment, so that we can organise to have an interpreter available.

Wheelchair Users / Persons with Reduced Mobility

  • We respectfully ask that all unaccompanied wheelchair users / persons with reduced mobility please make themselves known to us at Reception or at the Security Desk on arrival at the Hospital.
  • We will contact a Porter to escort you safely to/from the clinic as appropriate.
  • When your appointment is completed please ask a member of staff to call the Porter to escort you back to the exit.
  • We are taking these steps as we recognise that the existing infrastructure can provide challenges in accessing some of our services.

More Information

Cultural Diversity

Diversity is a core value of the Rotunda Hospital and we aim to make sure that  we respect and meet the health needs of people from different cultures in the right way.

Our staff have had diversity awareness training so that they know how to give a good service that suits your particular needs because of your culture, religion, or beliefs.

When you come to the Rotunda for your first visit, we will record your ethnicity and you can tell us about any support needs or requests, which will help us plan your care.

Patient Charter

The National Healthcare Charter You and Your Health Service is a statement of commitment by the HSE describing:

  •  what you can expect when using health services in Ireland, and
  •  what you can do to help Irish health services to deliver more effective and safe services.

It is based on eight principles: access, dignity and respect, safe and effective services, communication and information, participation, privacy, improving health and accountability.

Patient Charter

Patient Safety and Quality

Your safety and the quality of the care you receive is very important to us. We participate in national and international quality initiatives, which help us to provide you with high quality, safe and reliable care.

Infection Prevention and Control

Hospital hygiene: Ensuring that our wards and all parts of the hospital are kept clean is vital to preventing the spread of infections and is something we take very seriously.

Infection Prevention & Control

Hospital Hygiene

Ensuring that our wards and all parts of the hospital are kept clean is vital to preventing the spread of infections and is something we take very seriously.

  • Our household staff ensure standards of cleanliness are maintained and monitored across all areas of the hospital.
  • There are cleaning schedules and checklists in all rooms, wards, bathrooms and toilets, which include the contact details of who should be contacted if more cleaning is needed.
  • Supervisors inspect all clinical areas on a daily basis and undertake regular audits to ensure that cleanliness is maintained at a very high standard.
  • Members of the senior management team also undertake regular walkabouts to assess the cleanliness of the environment and patient equipment and upkeep of the facilities.
  • Any areas for action identified are immediately acted upon.

Hand hygiene

Hand Hygiene is very important in the prevention of infection as clean hands reduce the risk of spreading germs and infections.

  • Germs that naturally live on a person’s skin and normally cause few problems may be more serious when brought into hospital.
  • These germs are often passed from one person to another by physical contact, so it is important that patients, visitors and healthcare workers reduce the risk of spreading infection by regularly cleaning their hands.
  • Please never feel uncomfortable about asking anyone – hospital staff, visitors, family or friends to wash their hands or to use a hand gel before coming in contact with you or your surroundings.
  • There are disinfecting hand gels throughout the hospital and at each bedside.

Hands

How to use the hand gel

If your hands are visibly dirty, you should wash and dry them before applying the gel.

  • Place a small amount of the gel in the centre of your hands
  • Rub around all surfaces, paying particular attention to the finger tips
  • Once the gel is dry, your hands are clean and disinfected

How patients and visitors can help prevent the spread of infection

There are certain things which you as a patient can do to minimise the risk of spreading infection. These include:

  • Clean your hands before eating and before leaving your room/bed area
  • Wash hands after using the toilet and before touching any wound
  • Clean your hands before and after touching any blood
  • Ask friends and family who have colds, stomach bugs or other infections not to visit
  • Encourage your visitors to clean their hands immediately before and after they enter and leave your bedside
  • Avoid sitting on another patient’s bed
  • Ask your visitors not to sit on your bed

How hospital staff can help prevent the spread of infection

All hospital staff must clean their hands according to the World Health Organisation’s ‘5 Moments for Hand Hygiene’:

  • before touching a patient;
  • before clean/aseptic procedure;
  • after body fluid exposure risk;
  • after touching a patient; and
  • after touching patient surroundings.

Audit and surveillance

The infection prevention and control midwives carry out audits throughout the hospital. These include:

  • Staff compliance with the ‘5 Moments for Hand Hygiene’ and correct hand washing technique
  • Targeted audit of practice in relation to isolation precautions and care of IV sites
  • Targeted environmental audit and swabbing during the investigation into an increase in infection rates and during outbreaks
  • Infection control practices and facilities in all ward areas such as overall layout, cleaning regimes, equipment and hand washing facilities

Surveillance of hospital acquired infections is carried out on a hospital wide basis including the following:

  • Surgical site (wound) infections
  • Positive blood cultures to identify if the infection is related to their stay in hospital
  • Multi-resistant organisms such as MRSA
  • Antimicrobial stewardship to ensure appropriate use of antibiotics

Participation in Quality Initiatives

The Rotunda Hospital is committed to providing high quality, safe and reliable care to all mothers and babies. We take part in a number of quality initiatives both at national and international level.

The following examples show our commitment to improving the care and services we provide.

Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative 

The Rotunda was redesignated as a Baby Friendly Hospital during 2012, recognising that implementing best practice in maternity services is crucial to the success of programmes promoting breastfeeding.

Implementation of the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding ensures that the hospital supports and promotes informed parental choice through the provision of appropriate, accurate, unbiased information and discussion with women and their partners.

The Rotunda maintained baby friendly status since becoming the first Dublin maternity hospital to achieve the award in 2006.

For further information on baby friendly please follow the link:
www.ihph.ie/babyfriendlyinitiative

Laboratory Accreditation

High quality laboratory services are an integral component of the provision of safe care to patients.

The Department of Laboratory Medicine operates a full quality management system that complies with the following international standards:

ISO 15189 Medical Laboratories — Particular requirements for quality and competence

ISO 22870 Point of Care — Requirements for quality and competence

For further information and for a full scope of our accreditation please follow the link: Click Here

Vermont Oxford Network (VON) 

The neonatal unit participates in the VON, which is an international collaboration of over 800 neonatal units worldwide.

The information obtained from the database allows us to benchmark and compare our care of infants born <1500 grams on a national and international level.

The Rotunda compares favourably to the VON across most markers of neonatal care.

National Standards 

Over the past number of years, the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) and the Health Service Executive (HSE) have launched national standards for hospitals.

Examples include the infection prevention and control standards and healthcare records standards. We assess how well we comply with the standards and identify any areas for improvement.

The national standards for safer better healthcare were launched in June 2012. They aim to protect patients and to improve services. The standards are a first step towards a licensing system for the Irish healthcare system. During 2013 all hospitals must review and rate their performance against the standards. We will develop plans to close any gaps we identify during this review. The standards are grouped under eight themes, which are presented in the diagram below.

 

Participation in Quality Initiatives

The Rotunda Hospital is committed to providing high quality, safe and reliable care to all mothers and babies. We take part in a number of quality initiatives both at national and international level.

The following examples show our commitment to improving the care and services we provide.

Risk Management

Risk management is about improving patient safety by identifying and reducing risks which may cause harm or injury to patients.

We all know that things can go wrong and accidents happen in hospitals but it is important that we try to reduce these as much as possible.

Incident Reporting

An important part of risk management is identifying risks through ‘incident-reporting’. 

This includes times when something happened that could or did cause harm (an incident) and times when something could have happened to cause harm but didn’t (near miss). The Rotunda Hospital encourages all staff to report incidents and near misses in order to improve patient safety. This helps us to identify things that we can change and improve.

Incident Investigation

  • If a mistake or incident happens to you, we will let you know as quickly as possible and we will explain what happened.
  • If any treatment or care is needed, you will receive it straight away.
  • If the incident is serious we will do a thorough investigation to see what went wrong and why, and what we can do to prevent it happening again.
  • We will let you know that we are investigating the incident and discuss it with you.
  • A team of people will be involved in reviewing the incident, which includes reading all the notes in the healthcare record, talking to the staff involved etc.
  • It can take a few months to complete a detailed review of an incident but we will let you know when the review is likely to be finished.
  • We will ask you if you would like to attend a meeting to discuss the findings of the investigation and offer you a copy of the report.
  • Sometimes, we may not be allowed to share a report with you until later (for example if a coroner is investigating a death).

Other Ways of Improving Patient Safety

  • The staff in the clinical risk management department meet with staff in all the wards and departments on a regular basis to discuss patient safety issues.
  • Staff in each department identify risks in their own area.
  • These risks are discussed at the patient safety meetings and a plan is put in place to reduce the risk. The hospital management team is informed of any serious risks.

Clinical Audit

What is clinical audit?

Clinical audit is ‘a quality improvement process that seeks to improve patient care and outcomes through systematic review of care against explicit criteria and the implementation of change’. Principles for Best Practice in Clinical Audit (2002, NICE).

Put simply – clinical audit is a way of finding out if we are doing what we should be doing and making improvements where necessary.

Clinical audit has 5 stages which are best described as an audit cycle:

Audit

Clinical Audit in the Rotunda

The Rotunda has a strong focus on clinical audit as a means of safeguarding and improving the care we provide for our patients.

  • In 2011, as part of the quality and safety objective in the Strategic Plan 2011-2013, a dedicated clinical audit department was established to monitor and support clinical audit throughout the hospital.
  • All departments are encouraged to take part in clinical audit and the findings and recommended changes are presented at regular staff meetings.
  • All clinical audits comply with the Data Protection Act 2003.

What audits do we carry out?

Each year we plan a clinical audit programme that involves all of the hospital departments. We include audits that:

  • measure how well we protect our patients from infection e.g. hand hygiene, decontamination of medical equipment
  • check we are following local, national and international guidelines e.g. NICE guidelines
  • compare the standard of care we provide against the national averages
  • examine areas where we have received complaints or staff have concerns
  • measure our standards of record keeping

Contact us, email: [email protected]

More Information

Safety and Security

We have effective security arrangements throughout the hospital to protect patients, visitors, staff and property. We have alarm systems, access control and closed circuit television surveillance.

The hospital will not accept responsibility if any of your belongings are lost or stolen during your stay in the hospital. You should leave any jewellery or other valuables at home to keep them safe while you stay in the hospital.

  • All hospital staff wear photographic identification.
  • Do NOT give your baby to anyone you do not know or cannot identify.
  • If you leave the ward at any time please make sure that the midwives know where you are going and how long you will be away.
  • For security reasons we have a baby tagging system within the hospital.
  • A member of the delivery suite staff will attach the tag to your baby’s ankle immediately after birth.
  • We only take off the tag immediately before your discharge from the hospital.

We will not tolerate anyone behaving rudely or violently to our staff or other people in the hospital. Any visitor or patient who behaves in this way will be removed from the hospital. In order to protect patients, staff, visitors and property, security staff will report any incidents to the Gardaí immediately and we will bring charges against offenders.

Child Protection

Under the Children First Act, the Rotunda Hospital has a statutory obligation to prepare and publish a Children First Safeguarding Statement:

This is a written statement that specifies the service being provided and the principles and procedures to be observed in order to ensure, as far as practicable, that a child availing of the service is safe from harm.

The Child Safeguarding Statement provides an overview of the measures that the Hospital has in place to ensure that children are protected from harm.

Child Safeguarding Statement

Feedback and Complaints

Your service your say. We are committed to reviewing and improving all aspects of our service and we support the HSE’s ‘your service, your say’ initiative.

If you are not satisfied with any part of the care or service you receive in the Rotunda, please speak with the person in charge of the area and tell them of your concern.

If this does not resolve the issue or if you were unable to speak with the person in charge, you can contact our Head of Quality and Patient Safety.

Complaints Policy

Complaint Form

Role of the Ombudsman

Complaints Section,
Quality and Patient Safety Department,
The Rotunda Hospital,
Parnell Square,
Dublin 1.
[email protected]

Patient Advisory Service

The Patient Advocacy Service provides a free, independent and confidential service to help people making or intending to make a complaint in relation to the care they have received. They also provide support to patients following a patient safety incident.

For further information, please email [email protected] or call their national helpline 0818 293003.

Patient Experience Survey

As part of our commitment to reviewing and improving the care and services we provide, a patient experience survey is undertaken every year.

This gives women an opportunity to give us valuable feedback on their own experience while attending the Rotunda.

It identifies what is working well and also areas that can be improved upon. The survey findings are discussed at the Quality and Safety Committee meeting and priority areas for action are identified

Patient Experience Survey Summary Report Conducted September 2019

Introduction

For a three week period starting on 3rd September, a survey was conducted in relation to patient experiences within the hospital.  A questionnaire was distributed to women on the prenatal, postnatal or gynaecology wards and they were asked to complete it prior to discharge.  275 questionnaires were returned. There were 792 women discharged during that timeframe. Of the 275 respondents, 72.5% were attending as public patients, 15.8% private and 11.7% semi-private.

Results

Responses from the women participating in this survey were in the main very positive. Some of the many positive aspects include when asked if, overall, the patients were satisfied with the service they received, 98.9% ticked the box for ‘Yes’.  When invited to indicate whether they agreed or disagreed with the statement “I had confidence in the staff providing my care”, 99.3% chose either the ‘Strongly agree’ or ‘Agree’ options. For the statement “The information given by members of my healthcare team was easy to understand”, 98.5% chose ‘Strongly agree’ or ‘Agree’, with the figure being 99.3% for “I was always treated with dignity and respect”; 99.2% for “I trusted the members of my healthcare team” and 99.3% for “I would recommend this hospital to a friend or family member”.

The respondents were asked to rate the Hospital facilities under five headings with five multiple-choice options available – ‘Very good’, ‘Good’, ‘Poor’, ‘Very poor’ and ‘Not relevant’. The rating for adequacy of public toilets showed a small change compared to the last survey, as the percentage rating this facility as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ has decreased from 11.0% to 7.7%. In addition, 100% of patients indicated that the overall cleanliness of the hospital was ‘Good’ or ‘Very good’.  The issue of inadequate parking facilities was highlighted once again – see Table 1.

 Table 1

  Very good Good Poor Very poor Not relevant
Contacting hospital by phone 46.5% 38.4% 5.9% 2.2% 7.0%
Availability of parking facilities 18.2% 36.0% 26.9% 8.7% 10.2%
Adequacy of public toilets 38.8% 50.5% 7.0% 0.7% 2.9%
Ease of finding way (signage) 47.4% 47.8% 4.0% 0.0% 0.7%
Overall cleanliness of hospital 71.3% 28.7% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%

In relation to the meals the patients received, the questionnaire enquired as to whether they had been asked if they had any special dietary requirements. 63.4% responded ‘Yes’, 25.0% ‘No’ and 11.6% indicated that they ‘Can’t remember’.  When asked if they were satisfied with the meals they received, 89.9% indicated ‘Yes, always’ [up notably from 81.7%]; 9.3% ‘Yes, sometimes’ [down from 17.9%] and 0.7% ‘No’ [previously 0.4%].

When asked to indicate their level of agreement with the statement “The food I received was of a high quality”, the percentage that either ‘strongly agreed’ or ‘agreed’ was 97.4%, up from 95.4% in the previous survey.

Comments and Suggestions

The final question on the survey consisted of a section in which respondents were asked to provide comments relating to their recent experience of The Rotunda Hospital or make suggestions on how the hospital could improve the services it provides. These comments were split into categories depending on the nature of the remark. There were 61 positive comments regarding the staff, care and services provided in the Rotunda.  There were 39 comments identifying areas for improvement: 2 relating to communication and information; 21 regarding facilities, accommodation and food; 5 pertaining to staff attitude and manner; 9 concerning safe and effective care and 2 in connection with privacy, dignity and respect.

Areas for Action

The draft report was reviewed by the Quality and Safety Committee on 24th October 2019 and the following areas were identified for priority action:

  1. The content for a video containing information for women on discharge from hospital following birth has been collated and recorded. This video is to be edited and finalised prior to uploading onto the website and app.
  2. Commence the roll out of the National Healthcare Communication Programme to improve communication with patients and families.
  3. Install toilet seat sanitizers in all toilet facilities.
  4. Review the type of sanitary bins provided.

Conclusion

Overall, the responses are very similar to previous survey findings.  Chart 1 shows the trend of the percentage of respondents indicating a rating of ‘Very good’ for overall hospital cleanliness over previous surveys, with the nine new ‘patient experience survey’ values marked in red. This shows an increase of 6.3 percentage points since the last patient survey carried out in June 2018.

Chart 1

 

An important measure is the number of patients that would recommend the Rotunda Hospital to a friend, and any trends in this variable are worthy of note.  The question asked in the initial nine patient satisfaction surveys was “Would you recommend the Rotunda Hospital to a friend?” with the two options of ‘Yes’ and ‘No’. The patient experience survey asks patients to indicate their agreement or otherwise with the statement “I would recommend the Rotunda Hospital to a friend or family member. Combining the figures for the ‘Strongly agree’ and ‘Agree’ options yields a figure of 99.3% and along with the previous PES results, is highlighted in red in Chart 2.

Chart 2

Privacy Statement

The Rotunda Hospital is a registered Data Controller with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, Ireland. All personal data processed by our Hospital is processed in accordance with the obligations under current Data Protection law.  

The Rotunda Hospital collects, stores and uses large amounts of personal data every day, such as medical or health data, which may be paper-based or held electronically.  

We take our duty to protect your personal information and confidentiality very seriously and are committed to taking all measures to ensure it is held securely and only accessed by those with a need to do so.

Information We Collect and How We Use It

Our Online Privacy Notice

Open Disclosure

We all know that things can go wrong and accidents happen in hospitals but it is important that we try to reduce these as much as possible.

Open disclosure means that the Rotunda has an open, consistent approach to communicating with service users when things go wrong in healthcare.

This includes expressing regret for what has happened, keeping the service user informed, providing feedback on investigations and the steps taken to prevent a recurrence of the incident.