Wauchope hospital

MNCLHD hospitals, such as Wauchope District Memorial Hospital, scored very well among patients.

Local hospitals rate highly

Jun 08, 2021
This article was published 3 years ago.

Almost all patients (99 per cent) admitted to the smaller public hospitals across the Mid North Coast Local Health District (MNCLHD) rate their overall care as either ‘very good’ or ‘good’.

The Bureau of Health Information’s latest Rural Hospital Adult Admitted Patient Survey 2019-20, released today, also shows 97 per cent of patients at Bellinger River District Hospital, Dorrigo Health Campus and Wauchope District Memorial Hospital said they were treated with dignity and respect.

In addition, 95 per cent of patients said they ‘always’ had confidence and trust in their health professionals and received the right amount of information about their condition.

Telehealth services, which use technology to assist in the provision of healthcare, have been rated as ‘very good’ or ‘good’ by eight out of 10 patients (80 per cent) of the region’s smaller hospitals.

MNCLHD Chief Executive Stewart Dowrick said the results were testament to the dedication of staff, particularly amid the added challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“A visit to hospital can be a concerning time for patients and their families and our staff are recognised for their compassion, professionalism and for always putting their patients first,” Mr Dowrick said.

“Our small hospitals are part of a network of services that provide care and treatment for people in their own communities, which is very important in rural and regional areas.

“Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, we’ve modified the way we care for our communities, which has included increased use of telehealth services. It’s pleasing to see that our patients have embraced the changes and continue to rate their care so highly.”

Between mid-2012 and mid-2020 our Local Health District increased its workforce by an additional 867 full time equivalent staff – an increase of 31.8 per cent including 119 more doctors, 391 more nurses and midwives, and 56 more allied health staff.

The 2020-21 budget for MNCLHD is $706 million, an increase of $33 million on the previous financial year’s annualised budget.

The record 2020-21 $29.3 billion NSW Health budget includes $8.3 billion for Local Health Districts in rural and regional areas.

 

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