Figures released by Peel Health Campus have revealed the Mandurah hospital received 10 times the number of compliments than complaints in the last financial year.
Describing the feedback as "overwhelmingly positive", Peel Health Campus received 1361 compliments compared to 146 complaints in 2017/18.
The hospital receives feedback through a number of avenues including feedback forms provided to patients and carers upon discharge and information provided through the Patient Opinion website.
Peel Health Campus also conducts follow-up phone calls to a random selection of patients for feedback following discharge and receives written correspondence via emails, letters and on social media.
Peel Health Campus chief executive Dr Margaret Sturdy said the hospital actively sought feedback because it helped to track progress and performance in a number of areas, leading to service improvement.
The majority of hospital staff are from the Peel region and they take great pride in providing care to this community.
- Peel Health Campus chief executive Dr Margaret Sturdy
Dr Sturdy said the vast majority of compliments received related to hospital staff and the care they provide, which had a "terrific" impact on staff morale.
"The majority of hospital staff are from the Peel region and they take great pride in providing care to this community," she said.
"It is very satisfying for them to receive positive feedback from the community they serve.
"We always make sure positive feedback is fed back to staff through managers, the hospital newsletter, and we also display compliments around the hospital so both staff, patients and visitors can take a sense of pride in their local hospital."
Dr Sturdy said she always took the time to personally thank staff members who were named in compliments received via feedback.
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While there were almost 10 positive messages for every negative message, Peel Health Campus still received 146 complaints during the 2017/18 financial year.
Almost half of the complaints related to a patient's quality of care (49 per cent) while 28 per cent were regarding communication, 11 per cent regarding access and 8 per cent complaining about costs.
The remaining 7 complaints for the year were related to rights, respect and dignity and corporate services.
We have a rigorous complaints management process with every single complaint investigated and improvements made to the care we deliver when issues are identified.
- Peel Health Campus chief executive Dr Margaret Sturdy
Dr Sturdy said that although the hospital's compliments far outweighed complaints in the past few years, complaints were very important because they helped establish areas for improvement.
"While we prefer patients and their loved ones to raise any issues during the actual hospital stay so we can address concerns on the spot, we welcome feedback at any time," she said.
"We have a rigorous complaints management process with every single complaint investigated and improvements made to the care we deliver when issues are identified."
Personally, I'd want to see more than 3 per cent of people who present at the hospital providing compliments, and a reduction in the number of complaints.
- Dawesville MP Zak Kirkup
Dawesville MP Zak Kirkup, who has been lobbying with Canning MP Andrew Hastie for infrastructure expenditure and additional resources at Peel Health Campus, said he was pleased the hospital had received good feedback but suggested there was still plenty of room for improvement.
"Personally, I'd want to see more than 3 per cent of people who present at the hospital providing compliments, and a reduction in the number of complaints," he said.
"Unfortunately there is no way to assess whether or not complaints to the hospital have increased or decreased because Peel Health Campus only provides the 2017/18 Annual Report publicly, having removed access to all previous years.
"This is in contrast to Joondalup Health Campus, which is also operated by Ramsay (Health Care), who have their annual reports up going back to 2001.
"I have already asked a question to the minister for health whether he will instruct Ramsay to make the previous annual reports public again, which I think is in the best interest of transparency and accountability for our hospital."
