Patients can't get hospital satisfaction | Rotorua News | Local News in Rotorua
Patients can't get hospital satisfaction
by Julie Taylor julie.taylor@dailypost.co.nz
Patient satisfaction at Rotorua and Taupo hospitals is among the lowest in the country according to the latest benchmarking report.
A patient satisfaction level of 85.9 per cent saw the Lakes District Health Board (DHB) ranked 20 out of 21 health districts in the Hospital Benchmark Information quarterly report for January to March.
Lakes DHB says it's important the report is seen in the context of the wider health system and the report stressed that a poor ranking was not the same as poor performance.
However, local hospitals scored below the national average of 87.3 per cent, recording the fifth consecutive drop in satisfaction compared to relatively stable national figures. Outpatient satisfaction was only a little below the average but inpatient satisfaction levels dropped to 73.9 per cent for provision of information and 75.2 per cent for co-ordination.
Lakes DHB chairman Stewart Edward said it was important to see the figures in the context of the wider health system, including primary and tertiary care.
"On an anecdotal level we hear more positive things from people saying how excellent the care was in Rotorua Hospital and in Taupo Hospital. People have to put it into perspective.
"There is an enormous amount of pressure on hospital and emergency staff at the moment and they are responding in a tremendous fashion."
Staff working in the emergency departments have been stretched to the limit in recent weeks, The Daily Post reporting recently that patients were lining emergency department corridors and waiting for hours in chairs and makeshift cubicles for ward space to become available. The same thing happened two months before when some patients waited up to 15 hours in the emergency department.
Health Minister David Cunliffe highlighted the fact that 100 per cent of emergency department patients with urgent, life-threatening conditions were seen by a health professional immediately throughout the country. Patients in the less urgent categories were more likely to be seen within recommended times in the Lakes district than elsewhere.
The percentage of second degree triage patients being seen within 10 minutes was 10 per cent higher than national figures at 78.6 per cent and 71.7 per cent of category three patients were seen within the target 30 minutes, compared to only 53 per cent across all DHBs.
"The people in our emergency departments are saints," Mr Edward said.
The latest benchmark report showed the Lakes district compared poorly to other medium-sized areas in terms of the number of acute re-admissions and unattended appointments.
However, it topped the rankings for the proportion of elective procedures dealt with as day cases and the number of inpatient surgeries carried out on the day of admission. Staff turnover at Lakes DHB hospitals was consistently higher than the national average during the last three years and was second highest in its size group last quarter.
Sick leave rates were also higher than at other DHBs of comparable size but have closely followed the national trend.
Patient satisfaction at Rotorua and Taupo hospitals is among the lowest in the country according to the latest benchmarking report.
A patient satisfaction level of 85.9 per cent saw the Lakes District Health Board (DHB) ranked 20 out of 21 health districts in the Hospital Benchmark Information quarterly report for January to March.
Lakes DHB says it's important the report is seen in the context of the wider health system and the report stressed that a poor ranking was not the same as poor performance.
However, local hospitals scored below the national average of 87.3 per cent, recording the fifth consecutive drop in satisfaction compared to relatively stable national figures. Outpatient satisfaction was only a little below the average but inpatient satisfaction levels dropped to 73.9 per cent for provision of information and 75.2 per cent for co-ordination.
Lakes DHB chairman Stewart Edward said it was important to see the figures in the context of the wider health system, including primary and tertiary care.
"On an anecdotal level we hear more positive things from people saying how excellent the care was in Rotorua Hospital and in Taupo Hospital. People have to put it into perspective.
"There is an enormous amount of pressure on hospital and emergency staff at the moment and they are responding in a tremendous fashion."
Staff working in the emergency departments have been stretched to the limit in recent weeks, The Daily Post reporting recently that patients were lining emergency department corridors and waiting for hours in chairs and makeshift cubicles for ward space to become available. The same thing happened two months before when some patients waited up to 15 hours in the emergency department.
Health Minister David Cunliffe highlighted the fact that 100 per cent of emergency department patients with urgent, life-threatening conditions were seen by a health professional immediately throughout the country. Patients in the less urgent categories were more likely to be seen within recommended times in the Lakes district than elsewhere.
The percentage of second degree triage patients being seen within 10 minutes was 10 per cent higher than national figures at 78.6 per cent and 71.7 per cent of category three patients were seen within the target 30 minutes, compared to only 53 per cent across all DHBs.
"The people in our emergency departments are saints," Mr Edward said.
The latest benchmark report showed the Lakes district compared poorly to other medium-sized areas in terms of the number of acute re-admissions and unattended appointments.
However, it topped the rankings for the proportion of elective procedures dealt with as day cases and the number of inpatient surgeries carried out on the day of admission. Staff turnover at Lakes DHB hospitals was consistently higher than the national average during the last three years and was second highest in its size group last quarter.
Sick leave rates were also higher than at other DHBs of comparable size but have closely followed the national trend.
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