MOUNT Isa Hospital will lead the way next month with a survey and focus group program to assess patient feedback.
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Following the completion of the Mount Isa survey, the system will be rolled out across the North West in the coming months.
The patient survey has been adopted by the Mount Isa Hospital in an effort to develop a gradual and progressive return to the hospital's Block C after it was closed last year. Block C was largely vacated in November last year following concerns raised in an engineering report about the building's structural integrity.
Medical and surgical wards were moved to other parts of the hospital, along with the kitchens and allied health and administrative staff.
Last month, independent engineers and Department of Health infrastructure specialists said it would be safe to start returning to Block C after some rectification works were undertaken.
North West Hospital and Health Service executive director of nursing Michelle Garner said staff focus groups had already been set up to develop a plan for the staged return of services to Block C once the interim works had been completed.
Mrs Garner said a gradual return to Block C would require changes to be made to the former ward structure.
"We are exploring various options and suggestions through our staff focus groups but we also want to involve our patients so as to ensure all their needs are being met as we develop any new models of care," she said.
"The services we provide are entirely for the benefit of our patients and we believe very strongly that they should have a say on how those services are being delivered."
Patients will be surveyed on what they like and don't like about hospital services and how they think those services could be improved or done differently.
Staff will survey all inpatients, outpatients and maternity patients attending the hospital in July as well as mailing out survey forms to patients who have been through the hospital in the previous three to six - JASMINE BARBER