Patient perspectives praise HNE Health

Hunter New England Health has performed well in a survey of patients according to a report released today by the Bureau of Health Information (BHI).

Patient Care Experiences: Outpatient services in NSW public hospitals shows results from a survey conducted by BHI of more than 6, 500 public hospital outpatients who ranked their care in February 2011.

Hunter New England Health Chief Executive, Michael DiRienzo says the results highlight efforts to improve the overall patient experience.

“Both Muswellbrook Hospital and Calvary Mater were in the top 10 hospitals across the state overall while all our hospitals were on par or well above the state average in treating patients with respect and dignity.

“This is one of the indicators that matter most to outpatients in NSW,” he said.

Scoring highly in the continuation of care, Hunter New England Health staff were also shown to effectively manage appointments for patients into the future.

“It’s important for patients to understand the progression of their care and for this process to be as simple as possible for the patients.

“Our staff make sure patients are always informed the next step in their care and when it will take place,” he said.

The report also indicated there is room for improvement in some areas of our care, such as availability of parking and explaining appointment delays

“These are areas we need to do better and we are working on a range of strategies to address these issues across the district,” he said.

Contact: Abbey Wright

Phone: (02) 4921 4477