Queensland's Mater Health Services has topped the list of Australia's best private hospitals, taking out the top two positions in the nation's largest and most comprehensive survey of patient satisfaction conducted by leading health fund Medibank Private.
Mater Private Hospital Redland was named the best Australian private hospital for patient satisfaction followed by Mater Mothers' Private Hospital with the National Silver Award for the second highest ranking.
Glenferrie Private Hospital in Victoria, The Burnside War Memorial Hospital and North Eastern Community Hospital, both in South Australia, tied for equal third in the survey.
Mater Private Hospital Brisbane and Redland Executive Director Don Murray said receiving this kind of recognition from patients was a great accomplishment for the Mater team.
"These awards are testament to the hard work and dedication of our team of staff at Mater Private Hospital Redland," Mr Murray said.
"From specialists and nurses to midwives and support staff, everyone works with one goal in mind the delivery of exceptional care."
Medibank Private's Hospital Experience Survey analysed 22,668 responses covering 140 private hospitals in the largest and most authoritative survey of its type in Australia. The Survey covers every stage of the hospital experience, from pre-admission to discharge and follow-up, with respondents sharing their thoughts on everything from the standard of medical treatment provided to privacy levels, cleanliness and food quality.
Overall, the Survey showed a slight increase in satisfaction with the hospital experience when compared with the 2010 Hospital Experience Survey.
Medibank Group Executive, Provider Relations, Cindy Shay, said the Survey results provide an accurate insight into the experience of most private hospital patients.
"The Survey results indicate that, overall, Australians are very satisfied with the standard of care provided in the private health system. This is important because people who take out private health insurance want to know they'll have access to services that suit their individual needs. This Survey shows private hospitals are delivering this.
"In addition to the national and state rankings, we have prepared detailed reports for each of our provider hospitals showing the areas where patients said they were doing well and areas where improvements could be made." Ms Shay said.
Across the whole Survey, responses showed high levels of satisfaction with clinical staff, including the attitude of health professionals and their clinical skills. However, staffing levels were less satisfactory with many respondents left unimpressed by the availability of nurses, both during the day and at night. Identifying the respective roles of hospital staff was also identified as an issue.
Other areas where respondents indicated high levels of satisfaction were the standard of communication from hospital staff, in particular the explanation of treatment and clarity of doctors and nurses.
Rating levels were lowest in relation to the discharge experience and post discharge care arrangements. Respondents reported consistently lower levels of satisfaction with the advice and arrangements hospitals provided and the notice they were given prior to discharge. Information about managing recovery and explanation of medicine intake were also highlighted as areas for improvement.