A NEW report from the Bureau of Health Information (BHI) reveals that patient experiences in NSW hospitals improved between 2022 and 2023, despite increasing pressures on the healthcare system.
BHI Chief Executive Dr Diane Watson stated that the latest Adult Admitted Patient Survey indicated a generally positive outlook on hospital care among patients.
Of the over 20,000 NSW patients surveyed, 92% rated their overall care in 2023 as either "very good" or "good", with 68% of patients rating it as "very good", an increase from 66% in 2022.
Dr Watson credited these hospital improvements to the dedication of various health professionals across the state.
The survey showed better ratings in more than half of the questions compared to the previous year.
Notably, 66% of patients rated the teamwork of health professionals as "very good", up from 63% in 2022.
Additionally, 69% of patients felt they had sufficient time to discuss their health concerns, and 74% reported that their families received the right amount of information about their condition, both showing improvements.
The report also highlights differences between urban and rural hospitals.
Patients in rural hospitals reported significantly more positive experiences overall, while urban hospitals scored higher only in providing discharge summaries.
The report also focused on Aboriginal patients, with 77% feeling they were always treated with respect, though only 29% received support from an Aboriginal health worker.
Dr Watson highlighted the importance of access to Aboriginal health workers, as 94% of those who received such support felt more comfortable with their care. JG
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