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EMERGENCY

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Staff and care rated highly in Northern NSW emergency departments during COVID-19 pandemic
Published: 03 May 2023

Patients who attended emergency departments (EDs) in Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) during the COVID-19 pandemic have rated health staff and the care they received highly.

The latest Bureau of Health Information’s Emergency Department Patient Survey provides a snapshot of the experiences of 2247 patients who attended NNSWLHD’s EDs from July 2021 to June 2022. During this period, more than 210,500 people attended EDs across the District.

Overall, the majority of patients surveyed (90 per cent) rated the care they received as ‘good’ or ‘very good’. A majority (91 per cent) also rated the ED health professionals who treated them as ‘very good’ or ‘good’, with 90 per cent also rating their teamwork as ‘very good’ or ‘good’.

Northern NSW Local Health District Acting Chief Executive Lynne Weir said the results recognised the exceptional work of health staff who have showed dedication and compassion to patients at their time of need during a very challenging period.

“Hospitals across NSW have been balancing high demand, additional safety measures and staff furloughing during the COVID-19 pandemic, so it’s pleasing to see the efforts of staff reflected by the positive experiences our patients are receiving,” Ms Weir said.

“When you come into hospital, you expect to be treated with kindness, respect and dignity, and be given the right amount of information about your condition and treatment options. This is a priority for all staff working across hospitals in northern NSW.”

Several hospitals, including Ballina District Hospital, Byron Central Hospital, Murwillumbah District Hospital and Maclean District Hospital, performed above the NSW average in a number of areas such as teamwork, communication, involvement in decision making and cleanliness.

INDIVIDUAL HOSPITAL RESULTS
BALLINA DISTRICT HOSPITAL: A majority of patients (93 per cent) rated their care as ‘very good’ or ‘good’, with 94 per cent rating the ED health professionals as ‘very good’ or ‘good’. More than eight in 10 patients (82 per cent) said the ED treatment area was ‘very clean’ and 87 per cent said the health professionals were ‘always’ kind and caring.

BYRON CENTRAL HOSPITAL: A majority of patients (90 per cent) rated their overall care as ‘very good’ or ‘good’. Additionally, 91 per cent rated the ED health professionals as ‘very good’ or ‘good’, with 90 per cent rating their teamwork as ‘very good’ or ‘good’. A high proportion of patients (92 per cent) said the ED treatment area was ‘very clean’, the equal highest in the state.

CASINO & DISTRICT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL: A majority of patients (89 per cent) rated their overall care as ‘very good’ or ‘good’. Additionally, 93 per cent rated their ED health professionals as ‘very good’ or ‘good’, with 82 per cent saying staff were ‘always’ kind and caring. There was a significant improvement in the number of patients (82 per cent) saying they had trust and confidence in their treating health professionals compared to the previous year’s results.

GRAFTON BASE HOSPITAL: A majority of patients (90 per cent) rated their overall care as ‘very good’ or ‘good’. Additionally, 91 per cent rated the ED health professionals as ‘very good’ or ‘good’, with patients saying teamwork was ‘very good’ or ‘good’ (90 per cent), things were explained in a way they could understand (87 per cent) and staff were always polite and welcoming (85 per cent).

LISMORE BASE HOSPITAL: A majority of patients (90 per cent) rated the ED staff as ‘very good’ or ‘good’, with 87 per cent rating their overall care as ‘very good or ‘good’. A high proportion also said staff teamwork was ‘very good’ or ‘good’ (86 per cent), staff ‘always’ explained things in a way they could understand (81 per cent) and staff were ‘always’ kind and caring (80 per cent).

MACLEAN DISTRICT HOSPITAL: Patients rated Maclean District Hospital ED above the NSW average in a number of performance markers. A majority of patients (94 per cent) rated the ED health professionals and the care they received as ‘very good’ or ‘good’. Additionally, 90 per cent said they received the ‘right amount’ of information about their condition or treatment and 84 per cent said they were ‘definitely’ involved in decisions about their discharge from the ED.

MURWILLUMBAH DISTRICT HOSPITAL: Patients rated Murwillumbah District Hospital higher than the NSW average across 14 results. A majority of patients (93 per cent) rated the ED health professionals and the care they received as ‘very good’ or ‘good’. A high proportion also said staff were ‘always’ kind and caring (90 per cent).

THE TWEED HOSPITAL: A majority of patients (91 per cent) rated the health professionals as ‘very good’ or ‘good’, with 89 per cent rating their overall care as ‘very good’ or ‘good’. Additionally, a high proportion said staff were ‘always’ kind and caring (86 per cent), teamwork was ‘very good’ or ‘good’ (89 per cent) and they were given ‘the right amount’ of information about their condition or treatment (86 per cent).