A new report from the Bureau of Health Information (BHI) shows patients’ experiences in NSW hospitals improved between 2022 and 2023 despite increasing pressures on the healthcare system during this time.
BHI Chief Executive Dr Diane Watson said the latest results of the Adult Admitted Patient Survey show NSW patients are generally positive about their hospital care.
“Of the more than 20,000 NSW patients surveyed, 92% said, overall, the care they received in NSW public hospitals in 2023 was either ‘very good’ or ‘good’. Of those, 68% of patients said ‘very good’, up from 66% in 2022,” Dr Watson said.
“These results reflect real improvements in the hospital care experiences of patients across the state and are a credit to the health professionals caring for them.”
Across the survey, there were improvements from the previous year for more than half of all questions, with patients more likely to provide high ratings for questions about health professionals, their involvement in decisions about their care, and the coordination and timeliness of their care. For example:
- 66% of patients rated how well the health professionals worked together as a team as ‘very good’ (up from 63% in 2022).
- 69% said they ‘definitely’ had enough time to discuss their health or medical problem with health professionals (up from 66%).
- 74% said ‘the right amount’ of information about their condition or treatment was given to their family, carer or someone close to them (up from 71%).
The report also compares the experiences of more than 10,000 patients who were admitted to large rural hospitals with those admitted to urban hospitals.
“Our analyses found that patients admitted to rural hospitals reported significantly more positive experiences for most questions, including for questions related to overall satisfaction and outcomes, involvement in decision-making and the physical environment of the hospital,” Dr Watson said.
Patients who attended urban hospitals were significantly more positive for just one question, with 83% saying they received a document summarising their hospital care at discharge, compared with 70% of rural patients.
Aboriginal patients’ hospital experiences were also a focus of the report. Of the 2,656 Aboriginal patients who provided feedback, almost eight in 10 (77%) said they were ‘always’ treated with respect and dignity while in hospital, and that their cultural and religious beliefs were ‘always’ respected by the hospital staff.
However, fewer than three in 10 Aboriginal patients (29%) said they received support, or the offer of support, from an Aboriginal health worker while they were in hospital. “Our report provides more evidence for the importance of access to Aboriginal health workers for Aboriginal patients, with almost all people who were supported by these staff (94%) reporting that they felt more supported with their care,” Dr Watson said.
