Patients who arrived at the ED via ambulance were even happier with the service, with 92per cent rating the care they received from the ambulance service as very good.

The doctors and nurses in the ED got a good rap too from the patients who participated in the Bureau of Health Information’s Emergency Department Patient Survey with 94per cent rating the way they were treated  as good or very good, while around three-quarters felt they were both ‘‘kind and caring’’ and trustworthy.

Meantime, nearly 60per cent of patients said they would speak highly of their ED experience to family and friends if asked.

BHI chief executive Dr Jean-Frederic Levesque said the survey reflected the experiences of almost 26,000 patients who presented at 76 hospitals around the state.

He said the results for the EDs within the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, and Wollongong in particular, were mostly on par with the NSW average.

This is the first time we have released this information in NSW and it gives us a broad array of information from patients’ perspectives in ED,’’ Dr Levesque said. ‘‘From their trust and confidence in health professionals, to access and timeliness of treatment, through to patient flow through treatment areas.’’

The survey showed that around 90per cent of patients at Wollongong, Shellharbour and Shoalhaven hospitals were triaged, or assessed for urgency, within one hour of arrival. 

Approximately two-thirds were seen by a health professional within an hour of triage.

One area of concern was in the co-ordination and continuity of care section of the survey, where only 45per cent of patients at hospital EDs in the region said that their condition was checked when they returned to the waiting room after triage.

‘‘The region was under the state average of 53per cent for this question,’’ Dr Levesque said.

‘‘Obviously this would have been influenced by the numbers attending the EDs and the urgency of patients.

‘‘However if people are waiting for a long time in the waiting room then it’s good practice for them to be checked up on to ensure their health has not deteriorated,’’ Dr Levesque said.

‘‘It’s these areas for improvement that the survey picks up on that can be really useful for local hospitals to assess if they need to make any modifications to their processes."

Dr Levesque said another area where the Illawarra Shoalhaven Health District could look at making improvements was in the transition from hospital to home.

‘‘One in five patients were not told what signs and symptoms to watch out for after they went home while one in 10 received information that was contradictory from ED professionals,’’ he said.

‘‘This needs to be improved statewide so that patients have the right information to allow them to make the appropriate decisions about their health after their discharge from hospital,’’ Dr Levesque said.

Meantime, the parking issues around Wollongong Hospital were highlighted, with 56per cent of patients reporting that finding a parking spot near the ED was a ‘‘big problem’’. 

That compared to Shellharbour Hospital where only 12per cent found parking a major issue.

Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD) acting director of clinical operations Suzanne Harris welcomed the results of the survey. 

‘‘Overall, our emergency departments have rated well in the survey. Our staff always work toward ensuring they do everything they can to make the experience of visiting an emergency department as easy as possible, in an environment that can often be challenging,’’ she said. 

‘‘Our hospitals and staff receive feedback on the way we deliver services on a daily basis. This information, together with additional patient feedback like the recent survey, are hugely important and help us determine ways to improve or enhance our services and the overall care of our community.’’

Ms Harris said the ISLHD had a number of initiatives in place to make improvements in the delivery and timeliness of emergency department care. 

These included fast track areas for patients with less serious injuries, short stay units for patients not requiring hospital admission and clinical initiatives nurses to better facilitate communication and care to patients in ED waiting rooms.