Gippsland Southern Health Service (GSHS) has some of the most satisfied patients and clients in Victoria.
Figures released in GSHS’s annual report show the health service excelled in patient care during 2018-19, clearly surpassing state averages in all four Victorian Health Experience Surveys (VHES).
GSHS exceeded its targets in all patient experience categories for the year.
GSHS CEO Mark Johnson said the excellent result reflected the dedication, professionalism and caring nature of all staff.
“It’s a credit to everyone at GSHS that our overall healthcare experience result consistently rates between 95 and 100 per cent,” Mr Johnson said.
“Clearly the rapport between patients and staff is very good and our patients and clients respect and appreciate the care they receive,” he said.
“But it goes further than that; all our staff whether in direct caring roles or not go out of their way to make people feel welcome and comfortable.”
In two of the quarterly surveys, including the last survey of the financial year, 100 per cent of patients rated their overall experience as either good or very good. This was 7.7 per cent higher than the state average.
Among other topics, the surveys cover confidence and trust in nurses, ability to get assistance from staff in a reasonable time, the provision of information prior to discharge, and the cleanliness of hospital rooms which received a 96 per cent positive response.
People receiving community services were also impressed, with 100 per cent of clients satisfied in Leongatha and 96 per cent in Korumburra.
GSHS also clearly surpassed its targets for compliance with hand hygiene (91 per cent) and the percentage of staff immunized for influenza (94 per cent).
While Mr Johnson said the patient care outcomes were excellent, GSHS wouldn’t rest on its laurels.
“We take note of all survey results and respond to every comment and criticism to learn and improve,” he said. “For example, discharge care has been one area we have been focusing on in response to survey results and we have also introduced new patient record systems for community services to hopefully reduce the need for staff to ask clients to repeat information.”
Mr Johnson recently followed staff on the job to observe their interaction with clients. “I spent some time watching staff working with patients and the care they provide is really fantastic. It’s heartwarming to see how worthwhile our services are for people in our community,” he said.