Patient Outcomes

In accordance with the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standard 2: Partnering with Consumers, the contents of this page have been reviewed by a Consumer Advisory Committee.

Hand Hygiene

North West Private Hand Hygiene Compliance

Hand hygiene (or hand washing) is one of the best ways to stop infections so, as a priority, we educate and train all caregivers in the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) “five moments” for hand hygiene. We also audit our staff and provide our results to Hand Hygiene Australia (HHA) to compare us against other hospitals.

Our auditors complete compliance audits on a regular basis and submit data three times a year. We also participate in the national hand hygiene strategy to continually improve our rates.

The graph below shows that North West Private's Hand Hygiene compliance rates are well above (better) than the industry benchmark.

Inpatient Falls with Injury Requiring Intervention

North West Private Patient Fall Rates

A fall in a hospital is when a patient suddenly and unintentionally falls to the ground. This can happen in a hospital setting for a number of reasons, such as a change in medication, the after effects of an anaesthetic, or just because the surroundings are unfamiliar. Falls can injure patients and affect their recovery and independence.

The graph below shows the number of patients that sustain a fall that caused an injury as a percentage of total patient bed days (the number of days that all patients spend in hospital). North West Private achieves a lower rate (better) than the industry benchmark.

We achieve a lower rate through our established Falls Prevention and Management Program and an electronic Incident/Risk Management and Reporting System. A variety of best practice tools and prevention intervention guidelines are utilised to identify those patients/consumers at high risk of having a fall.

Unplanned Re-Admissions

North West Private Unplanned Re-Admissions

The rate of unplanned re-admissions provides an indication of the effectiveness of our planning processes, for when people are discharged from hospital. This is based on the number of patients that were re-admitted to North West Private within 28 days of discharge from hospital, with a diagnosis related to the same condition as the original admission.

North West Private's rate is lower (better) than the industry benchmark. This is achieved, for example, through the presence of dedicated Social Workers and other Allied Health staff as part of better discharge planning initiatives, plus pre-admission clinics where patients' discharge needs are identified prior to admission.

Unplanned Returns to Operating Theatre

North West Private Unplanned Returns

North West Private's doctors undertake surgery in many specialty areas, which range from minor procedures to more complex surgery requiring specialised care. We monitor our patient outcomes by comparing any unplanned returns to the operating theatre to other Australian hospitals nationally. The aim is to reduce returns to the operating theatre where possible; however there are many factors which influence this, and in some cases it is necessary to have further surgery to save a life.

Unplanned returns to the operating theatre are frequently due to complications, for example to treat bleeding or other problems occurring early after the operation. Some complications following complex surgery are to be expected due to patients’ pre-existing diseases or conditions and the nature of the disease or condition being treated. Unplanned returns to the operating theatre are reported and clinical outcomes analysed. Recommendations are actioned and monitored to ensure improvements are made where possible.

The graph below shows the number of patients who had a surgical procedure or operation and required an unplanned return for further surgery during the same admission. North West Private's rate is lower (better) than the industry benchmark.