Most patients (89%) who attended EDs in NBMLHD in 2023–24 said, overall, the care they received was ‘very good’ or ‘good’.
NBMLHD Director of Hospital Services, Brett Williams said the report provides insightful patient feedback that will help the District to further refine its services and elevate patient experiences.
“Our LHD operates some of the busiest emergency departments across NSW. The results in the latest patient survey are a testament to the skills and dedication of our staff who work tirelessly to provide the best care available to patients. It is heartening to observe their efforts validated by the feedback from this survey,” said Brett.
"The survey also helps us identify opportunities to better serve our patients in the emergency department. We appreciate the honest feedback from patients who took the survey, which will help us provide better patient experiences in the future."
Where we did well
Across the LHD patients were significantly more positive than patients across NSW for one survey question and compared with the previous survey, patients’ ratings of our care improved by 5 percentage points or more for 11 questions.
Some highlights included:
- 67% of Nepean Blue Mountains patients rated the ED health professionals who treated them as ‘very good’ – up 7 percentage points from the 2022–23 survey.
- 49% of patients said our ED staff told them how long they might have to wait for treatment – up 10 percentage points.
- 84% of patients said our ED health professionals were ‘always’ kind and caring – up 4 percentage points.
However, our patients did highlight some areas where we can focus improvement efforts. For example:
- 60% of Nepean Blue Mountains patients said they were ‘definitely’ told about what signs or symptoms, related to their illness or treatment, to watch out for after they went home – down 2 percentage points from the 2022–23 survey.
What some of our patients had to say about their care
“The emergency staff were quick, flexible and conscientious in providing me with treatment. They followed up appropriately. I was very happy with the treatment.” – Patient at Blue Mountains District ANZAC Memorial Hospital
“All the staff were so reassuring and not judgemental in the slightest. They made sure that my baby wasn’t in the main waiting room and were very thoughtful and supportive.” – Patient at Hawkesbury District Hospital
“I cannot speak highly enough of the nursing staff that I met and interacted with at the hospital. The care and dedication they display to their patients and the job at hand is remarkable.” – Patient at Lithgow Hospital
“The staff are always so patient and kind. It didn't matter how much pressure they were under, they always had a smile on their face and stayed so calm.” – Patient at Nepean Hospital
