A RECENT survey shows a majority of patients attending public hospitals in the Southern NSW Local Health District (SNSWLHD) have positively rated the care they received in emergency departments.
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Almost 26,000 people from public hospitals across NSW completed the inaugural Bureau of Health Information (BHI) Emergency Department Patient Survey between April 2013 and March 2014.
SNSWLHD chief executive Max Alexander said the results provide some well-deserved recognition of the fantastic work done by local emergency department staff.
“When 82 per cent of NSW patients rate the overall care they received in public hospital emergency departments as either ‘very good’ or ‘good’, it’s clear our staff are doing what they can to help people who are often suffering, stressed or in pain,” Dr Alexander said.
“This goes hand in hand with results showing 86 per cent positively rating the way information was shared between NSW healthcare staff and their patients and families, and a further 86 per cent giving a ‘thumbs up’ to the teamwork demonstrated by NSW health staff.”
Bega District Hospital’s ED rated above the NSW average in the state-wide survey.
Acting manager of the Bega Valley Health Service Nicole Tate said the survey results showed trust and confidence in healthcare professionals was high, and most patients generally reported a positive experience of care.
In the independent BHI survey, 88 per cent of patients rated the care they received in Bega’s ED as “very good” or “good”.
“Emergency departments are inherently challenging and stressful places for patients, so the fact that 64 per cent reported their overall experience of care as 'very good' and a further 24 per cent rated their treatment as ‘good’ is a positive result,” Ms Tate said.
“The Bega Hospital results also compare favourably to the survey findings for all NSW hospital emergency departments in which 52 per cent of patients indicated their treatment was ‘very good’ and 27 per cent rated their ED care as ‘good’.
"Nonetheless there is always room for improvement, and a careful review of the survey results will be undertaken to help us better understand patient issues and how we can make emergency hospital visits as positive as possible.”
The survey did not incorporate Cooma or Pambula Hospitals because of their smaller size and reduced number of ED patients.