First Citizen Evaluation Results for ESY – What They Reveal About ‘Metaxa’

The voice of the citizen is beginning to reach the responsible authorities, as the new evaluation system already appears to be delivering results at the Anticancer Hospital ‘Metaxa’ in Piraeus. This initiative aims to record in real time the experiential feedback of patients and their companions within the Greek National Health Service (ESY). The goal is to build trust, transparency, and genuine improvements in service and care quality, according to officials. As part of this effort, patients who are discharged from the hospital receive an SMS on their mobile phones, through which they answer a questionnaire about their satisfaction with their stay. The data collected for ‘Metaxa’ has been particularly telling. One of the first impressive outcomes came from Piraeus. The Anticancer Hospital ‘Metaxa’ recorded a dramatic increase both in citizen participation and in the scores it received during the first five months of 2025. The figures published for the period January–May 2025 are indicative: Evaluations First 5 Months 2024: 252; Evaluations First 5 Months 2025: 1,395 (an increase of +450%). Average Score 2024: 4.20/5; Average Score 2025: 4.41/5. The rise in participation is mainly attributed to the installation of electronic feedback stations (touch-screen feedback kiosks) in strategic areas of the hospital, offering immediate, anonymous, and easy evaluation opportunities for every citizen—a practice already widely implemented in European hospitals. Even more impressive is that despite the sharp increase in evaluations—which statistically could have lowered the average—the score not only remained stable but improved significantly. The Director of the Hospital, Mr. Sarantos Efstathopoulos, stated: ‘The data speak for themselves! Citizens trust the Metaxa Hospital, a public oncology hospital, and see tangible positive changes. Their voices are now systematically recorded, analyzed, and serve as our guide.’ He also emphasized the importance of increased participation: ‘The impressive rise in engagement highlights our fellow citizens’ need to express their views freely, directly, privately, experientially, and impartially regarding public services.’ According to the hospital director, the improvement in performance isn’t coincidental. It’s credited to the consistent work of the staff, volunteers, and the support of the Second Health Region and the Ministry of Health leadership. ‘We continue to work diligently toward our goal: making the Piraeus Anticancer Hospital a model of quality, safety, and compassionate care,’ he added. The citizen evaluation program was launched as a pilot project, but its ambition is to expand to all public hospitals nationwide. The evaluations are anonymous, digitally recorded, and provide the government with immediate and meaningful insights into healthcare quality—beyond mere indicators and statistics.