Emergency care at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, (SCH) and The Children’s Hospital at Westmead (CHW) has been rated among the top six in New South Wales, according to the recently published Bureau of Health Information Emergency Department Patient Survey for 2021-2022.
Significantly, SCH had the second-highest results of the 77 emergency departments surveyed across the state.
These results reflect the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network’s (SCHN) unwavering commitment to providing high-quality and family-centred care, with both emergency departments performing strongly across all areas and categories surveyed.
Almost all patients and families (94 per cent) rated their care and treating health professionals as ‘very good’ or ‘good,’ both higher than the state average.
Dr Chris Webber, Head of the Emergency Department at SCH, said these results are a testament to the passion and commitment of the team to not only supporting patients and families, but also each other, through the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and severity of the 2022 influenza season.
“I am beyond proud of our team’s remarkable performance recognised as one of the best in the state’s emergency departments,” Dr Webber said.
"To see that this feedback has come directly from our patients and families is rewarding for all of us. It shows that we are fulfilling our duty in providing excellent and supportive care during what can be a scary and challenging time for these families.
“The calendar year for 2022 was the busiest in the last seven years for our Hospital and has continued into 2023, adding additional pressure on our staff. Despite this, they rose and adapted to the occasion every time.”
The best performing categories for SCH included:
- Overall satisfaction and outcome, with 76 per cent of patients and families rating their treating professionals as ‘very good’ and 85 per cent indicating they would speak highly to friends and family about their experience.
- Compassion, respect and kindness, with 92 per cent reporting they were always treated with respect and dignity and 89 per cent indicating health professionals were always kind and caring.
- Effective communication, with 89 per cent reporting staff always explained information about their child’s treatment/care in a way they could understand and 81 per cent indicating they had enough time to discuss their child’s health or medical problems with them.
- Clear information, with 93 per cent reporting they were given the right amount of information about their child’s condition or treatment and 89 per cent indicating they did not receive contradictory information.
Dr Shefali Jani, Medical Director of the Emergency Department at CHW, said the exceptional cross-category feedback was a true reflection of the professionalism, caring nature, and hard work of the emergency department team.
"Knowing we have had an impact on our patients and families through their journey in the emergency department is profound. We work around the clock to ensure we are there for our patients and families when they need us most, and these results show we are achieving that,” Dr Jani said.
“We are privileged to have a strong team, who work tirelessly to provide the exemplary care to the sick and injured children who come through our doors.”
The best performing categories for CHW included:
- Overall satisfaction and outcome, with 80 per cent indicating they would speak highly to friends and family about their experience in the emergency department.
- Compassion, respect and kindness, with 89 per cent reporting they were always treated with respect and dignity in the emergency department and 85 per cent indicating the health professionals were kind and caring.
- Clear information, with 93 per cent reporting they were told who to contact if they were worried about their child’s care or treatment following discharge and 78 per cent indicated they were given enough information about how manage their care at home.
SCHN remains committed to further improving its Emergency Department performance and delivering the very best care to patients and their families at all times.
If your child is seriously injured, seriously unwell or has a life-threatening medical emergency, you should visit your local hospital emergency department or call Triple Zero (000) immediately. However for non-urgent medical advice, there are lots of care options available. You can:
- Speak with your doctor
- Call HealthDirect on 1800 022 222
- Visit the HealthDirect website: www.healthdirect.gov.au
- Speak to your pharmacist