FEEDBACK from patients, carers and their families staying in some of western Sydney’s busiest hospitals can now be offered and addressed in real-time via a new Australian-first digital service.

Western Sydney Local Health District is now running the ‘My Experience Matters’ digital survey using cutting-edge feedback technology.

The service allowing staff to instantaneously analyse patient experiences in their hospitals.

The survey, which was officially launched at Westmead Hospital on Tuesday, has already been rolled-out to some wards at Westmead and Auburn hospitals, allowing patients to provide their feedback via hospital iPad or online.

It is expected that the survey will be rolled out to both Blacktown and Mount Druitt Hospitals across the next 6 to 12 months.

WSLHD Patient and Carer Experience manager Kay de Ridder said hospital staff immediately receive the survey responses, allowing them to address any issues in real-time.

“It could be a simple thing like fixing a banging door that is keeping a patient awake – staff get that feedback from a patient and they can immediately go up and fix it; feedback like that helps us improve the care we provide,” she said.

“We want to know what matters to people so we can improve our services; we are committed to learning from our patients, carers and their families.”

Ms de Ridder said Westmead Hospital patients involved in preliminary use of the survey last year had recommended a range of measures to improve services.

“On one ward, about 80 per cent of patients said they had been personally greeted by nursing staff each day during their visit. The ward’s nursing unit manager wanted to bring that score up to 100 per cent so she held a session with the staff to ensure they were all introducing themselves to their patients; it’s just little things like that,” she said.

“This feedback is critical to service planning and improvement; we’re also working with units and staff to assist them in linking in with existing quality improvement structures to make changes.”

Currently Blacktown and Mount Druitt Hospitals are receiving major overhauls. The NSW government has set aside $400 million for redevelopment of the hospital at Blacktown, which will include upgrades to the emergency department and an improved cancer care centre.

The new ‘My Experience Matters’ program will be rolled out into Blacktown Hospital as a part of the redevelopments.