Patient experience

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) conducts an annual survey, Patient Experiences. This survey collects data on the access and barriers to, and satisfaction with healthcare services. This section contains results from the survey on patient experiences during hospital admissions and emergency department visits.

Use of hospital services

The survey found that in 2024–25, among people aged 15 and over:

• 13% had been admitted to a public or a private hospital and 16% had visited a hospital emergency department (ED) in the previous 12 months
• those with a long-term health condition were more likely than those without a long-term condition to have been admitted to hospital (18% compared with 6.7%) and visit an ED (22% compared with 9.0%)
• those aged 85 years and over were more likely than those aged 15–24 years to be admitted to hospital (25% compared with 6.6%) and visit a hospital ED (26% compared with 15%)
• those living in areas of most socio-economic disadvantage were more likely than those living in areas of least disadvantage to visit a hospital ED (20% compared with 12%), and also to report that they needed to go to hospital but did not go to hospital (9.4% of those living in the most disadvantaged areas needed to go to hospital but didn’t go at all, compared with 3.8% of those living in the least disadvantaged areas)
• those living in Outer regional, Remote or Very remote areas were more likely to be admitted to hospital than those living in Major cities (15% compared with 12%) and visit a hospital ED (21% compared with 14%).

Experience of hospital care

Of those who used hospital services as an admitted patient, most people reported:

• hospital doctors and specialists always spent enough time with them (73%), always listened carefully (75%) and always showed respect (79%)
• hospital nurses always spent enough time with them (76%), always listened carefully (79%) and always showed respect (82%).

Of those who visited a hospital ED, most people reported:

• hospital ED doctors and specialists always spent enough time with them (63%), always listened carefully (67%) and always showed respect (72%)
• hospital ED nurses always spent enough time with them (69%), always listened carefully (73%) and always showed them respect (76%).