Patients who attended the emergency departments at Grafton and Maclean hospitals during the Covid pandemic have rated staff and the care they received highly.
Between July 2021 and June 2022 more than 210,500 people attended emergency departments across the Northern NSW Local Health District NNSWLHD and the experiences of 2247 patients were recorded in the latest Bureau of Health Information Emergency Department Patient Survey.
At Grafton Base Hospital the majority of patients (90 per cent) rated their overall care as ‘very good’ or ‘good’.
Additionally, 91 per cent rated the Grafton 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).
Maclean District Hospital emergency department received glowing reviews from patients.
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’.
While 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.
Maclean District Hospital was one of several hospitals including Ballina District Hospital, Byron Central Hospital and Murwillumbah District Hospital which performed above the NSW average in a number of areas such as teamwork, communication, involvement in decision making and cleanliness.
Overall, across the NNSWLHD 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,” she 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”.