HOSPITALS across NSW have been given a nod of approval from most patients but people in western Sydney aren’t so happy.
THE majority of the 35,000 people surveyed by the Bureau of Health Information rated the health system positively.
More than 90 per cent of patients were happy with the information they received before going to hospital and in relation to their discharge medication. A majority said they could understand answers from doctors and that their care was well-organised, the Patients Perspectives report released on Wednesday shows. People in northern and southern NSW appear to be most happy. However, the responses of people in western Sydney fell below the NSW average across most categories. The Australian Medical Association says this could reflect the fact that hospitals in the west and southwest of Sydney are seeing more patients. “This is impacting not only on patient experience but … on hospitals’ ability to meet targets for emergency department performance,” AMA NSW president Saxon Smith said. Westmead Hospital’s emergency department had seen an increase in urgent triage patients more than three times the state average. “This build-up of patient numbers has been happening year-on-year in NSW and western Sydney hospitals are copping the brunt of it,” Dr Smith said.