The Bureau of Health Information (BHI) has today released patient survey results reflecting the experiences of almost 22,000 adults who were admitted to 75 NSW public hospitals in 2019.
BHI Chief Executive, Dr Diane Watson, said patients in NSW who responded to the Adult Admitted Patient Survey were mostly positive about their experiences of care, with most patients (93%) rating their care as either ‘very good’ or ‘good’.
“Patients admitted to public hospitals were particularly positive about the healthcare professionals who cared for them,” Dr Watson said.
“More than eight in 10 patients (86%) said they were always treated with respect and dignity, while 80% said health professionals always explained things in a way they could understand.”
Patients also provided feedback about where they think there is room for improvement in the care they received. For example, patients were notably less positive about how their pain was managed, when compared with the 2018 results.
“While seven in 10 patients who experienced pain (71%) said hospital staff ‘definitely’ did everything they could to help manage their pain, this result was down from 75% in 2018,” Dr Watson said.
“Healthcare professionals can now use this feedback about pain management to improve this crucial aspect of patients’ experiences of care.”
As part of this survey, every adult Aboriginal patient who was admitted to a NSW public hospital during 2019 was invited to provide feedback about their experiences of care. Of the almost 3,500 Aboriginal people who responded to the survey:
- Around eight in 10 said the nurses (81%) and doctors (80%) were ‘always’ kind and caring.
- More than half (56%) said they did not receive or were not offered support from an Aboriginal Health Worker while they were in hospital.
“Listening to what Aboriginal people have to say about their experiences of hospital care is important to ensure they receive high quality healthcare, tailored to their needs,” Dr Watson said.
“These results provide healthcare professionals with valuable information about what they are doing well and where they can improve care to better meet the needs of Aboriginal people.”
BHI has also today released survey results that reflect the experiences of more than 13,000 patients who received care in 49 outpatient cancer clinics across NSW in 2019. Almost all patients (99%) who responded to the Outpatient Cancer Clinics Survey said the care they received was ‘very good’ or ‘good’.
Two Snapshot reports highlight key findings on the experiences of patients who completed the Adult Admitted Patient Survey 2019 and the Outpatient Cancer Clinics Survey 2019.