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EMERGENCY

In an emergency, always call triple zero (000) for an ambulance. Ambulances are the safest way to be assessed, treated and transported to the right hospital for the care you need.

Triple zero (000) is a free call from any phone, mobile or phone box.

For less severe but still urgent situations, go to an Emergency Department.

There are 12 public hospital Emergency Departments in Northern NSW Local Health District and they are all available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Emergency departments are located at:

Hospitals in Northern NSW delivering consistently great care
Published: 22 Oct 2020

Patients in Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) continue to report very high levels of satisfaction with their hospital care, according to the Bureau of Health Information (BHI) 2019 Adult Admitted Patient Survey.

NNSWLHD Chief Executive Wayne Jones said the report shows that 95 per cent of patients across the District rated their care as either ‘very good’ or ‘good’.

If asked by family and friends, more than four out of five patients (81 per cent) said they ‘would speak highly’ of their hospital experience.

“Our staff should be really proud of the results in this report, in which the overwhelming majority of respondents have rated both the care, and the individuals providing that care, extremely highly,” Mr Jones said.

“One of the most pleasing aspects is the fact that these results build on previous years of consistently good results. This shows that patients in Northern NSW are regularly receiving excellent care, thanks to the expertise and compassionate care of our staff.”

Across the District, nearly all patients who responded (97 per cent) rated the nurses who treated them as either ‘very good’ or ‘good’, almost matched by the 95 per cent who provided a ‘very good’ or ‘good’ rating for their treating doctors.

Three-quarters of patients (75 per cent) said the care they received in hospital was ‘very well organised’, the highest result in NSW.

Nearly nine out of 10 patients (89 per cent) said they were ‘always’ treated with respect and dignity, and 95 per cent of respondents said they received the ‘right amount’ of information about their operation or surgical procedure before arrival at hospital.

Once again, several hospitals in Northern NSW stood out when it came to rating the cleanliness of facilities, with 87 per cent of respondents at Ballina District Hospital, 85 per cent at Murwillumbah District Hospital, 82 per cent at Grafton Base Hospital and 90 per cent of Byron Central Hospital respondents saying the toilets and bathrooms were ‘very clean’.

Murwillumbah District Hospital also recorded significantly higher results than the state average for nursing care, overall collaboration between health professionals and the overall care patients received, and the highest result in NSW for patients who would speak highly of their experience to family and friends (92 per cent).

Between mid-2012 and mid-2020 the Northern NSW Local Health District increased its workforce by an additional 1008 full time equivalent staff – an increase of 26.7 per cent including 171 more doctors, 367 more nurses and midwives, and 121 more allied health staff.

The 2019–20 budget for Northern NSW Local Health District was $875 million – an increase of $37 million on the previous financial year’s budget.

INDIVIDUAL HOSPITAL RESULTS

BALLINA DISTRICT HOSPITAL: Ninety per cent of respondents said the emergency department staff were always polite and courteous. 89 per cent said the wards and rooms were ‘very clean’, significantly higher than NSW result of 71 per cent. Eighty-seven per cent said the toilets and bathrooms were ‘very clean’, significantly higher than NSW result of 63 per cent. Nearly all patients (96 per cent) said the nurses were always kind and caring.

BYRON CENTRAL HOSPITAL: Nearly all patients (97 per cent) said emergency department staff were always polite and courteous; 94 per cent said wards and rooms were ‘very clean’, and 90 per cent said toilets and bathrooms were ‘very clean’.

CASINO & DISTRICT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL: More than nine out of 10 patients (93 per cent) said emergency department staff were always polite and courteous. Overall, 87 per cent rated the doctors who treated them as ‘very good’, the highest result in NSW, and 85 per cent of respondents said they ‘would speak highly’ of their experience to family and friends.

GRAFTON BASE HOSPITAL:  More than nine out of 10 patients (94 per cent) said the emergency department staff were always polite and courteous. More than four out of five (82 per cent) said the toilets and bathrooms were ‘very clean’, significantly higher than the NSW result of 63 per cent. More than nine out of 10 patients (92 per cent) said the doctors were always kind and caring, while 91 per cent said nurses were always kind and caring.

LISMORE BASE HOSPITAL: Nearly nine out of 10 patients (88 per cent) said emergency department staff were always polite and courteous. Four out of five patients (80 per cent) rated their nurses as ‘very good’.

THE TWEED HOSPITAL: More than nine out of 10 patients (96 per cent) said the emergency department staff were always polite and courteous. More than nine out of 10 patients (92 per cent) said the nurses were always kind and caring.

MACLEAN DISTRICT HOSPITAL: More than nine out of 10 patients (94 per cent) said emergency department staff were always polite and courteous, while nine out of 10 (90 per cent) said the nurses were always kind and caring. Nine out of 10 patients (90 per cent) said they were always treated with respect and dignity.

MURWILLUMBAH DISTRICT HOSPITAL:  100 per cent of patients said staff who met them on arrival were ‘always’ polite and courteous. Nearly nine out of 10 (87 per cent) said the wards or rooms were ‘very clean’, significantly higher than NSW result of 71 per cent, while 85 per cent said the toilets and bathrooms were ‘very clean’, compared to 63 per cent for NSW.

More than nine out of 10 patients (93 per cent) rated the nurses as ‘very good’, significantly higher than the NSW average of 75 per cent.

Nearly nine out of 10 patients (84 per cent) said the way health professionals worked together was ‘very good’. Overall, 84 per cent of respondents rated the care they received as ‘very good’, significantly higher than NSW at 67 per cent. Nearly nine out of 10 patients (92 per cent) said they would speak highly of their experience to family and friends – the highest result in the state.