Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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852. To ask the Minister for Health when the next national end of life survey will be undertaken by the national care experience programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25757/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The National End of Life Survey (NEOLS) is part of the National Care Experience Programme, a joint initiative by the Health Information Quality Authority (HIQA), the Health Service Executive (HSE), and the Department of Health. This was the first national survey asking bereaved people about the care provided to their relatives and friends in the last months and days of their lives.

Individuals who registered the death of a relative or friend that occurred between 1 September and 31 December 2022 were invited to participate in the survey between March and May 2023.

The results of the National End of Life Survey were published on April 11 2024 and are available on www.yourexperience.ie.

The findings of this national survey are driving service improvements in end of life care acknowledging what is working well and identifying areas where improvements are needed. The HSE also published their response to the findings of the National End of Life Survey with information on the quality improvement plans underway as well as their plans for ongoing quality improvement in hospitals to improve patients' care experiences.

The Department of Health is and will continue using the information gathered to inform the development of policy in relation to end of life care. A new National Adult Palliative Care Policy was published in 2024. The policy contains a suite of actions in relation to palliative, end-of-life and bereavement care.

The National Care Experience Programme aims to conduct future national surveys to capture experiences in the following areas of care; inpatient acute, maternity, nursing homes, end of life, mental health. Timelines for for these surveys have not yet been finalised.