Patients and Public
Hunter New England Health is committed to:
- doing the right thing for our patients and their families
- doing it consistently
- doing it with respect
Our patients and communities rightly have high expectations of healthcare. Our patients deserve quality care that keeps them safe and meets their expectations. Our approach helps us achieve this and includes:
- talking with our patients about their needs
- communicating clearly with our patients about their care
- providing consistent and professional healthcare
Our staff receive training and education to make sure patients:
- receive the best possible treatment results
- have the best possible experience
This is how our staff work when caring for patients and consumers. We call this Excellence.
We understand that when a patient comes to hospital it can be confusing. Information and understanding is key to helping our patients feel comfortable and confident in the care they receive. Making sure our patients:
- get the best possible treatment
- are provided with compassion and care
- have confidence in their healthcare team
This is the core of how we deliver Excellence.
Other ways we incorporate Excellence into our work include:
Hourly Rounding
While you are in hospital you will notice the staff come and check on you each hour to make sure you are OK. This is to see if you need anything and that you are comfortable. We know checking on our patients frequently, improves their health outcomes. We call this hourly rounding.
Care Boards
Listening to our patients about their needs is really important for us. We have Care Board's next to each patient bed to help improve communication between the healthcare team, patients and their families. Patients and their families are encouraged to write on the care board. This can include any questions or concerns and important information such as phone numbers.
The healthcare team can write the patient's plan of care on the board. This only happens if the patient is happy to have the information on display.
Follow up phone calls
We like to receive feedback from our patients after their discharge from hospital. Our staff may contact you the day after you go home from hospital to hear about your experience. This allows us to:
- make sure you are safe
- make sure you understand your discharge instructions
- tell us about your experience while in hospital