Patient safety and quality

Best-practice standards and safe healthcare

At Macquarie University Health, your care and safety are of the utmost importance to us. We ensure this through a best practice system of continuous evaluation and review.

Our performance

The Macquarie University Health performance data below is from the July 2024 to December 2024 reporting period.

We're committed to providing high-quality healthcare services and achieving optimum patient satisfaction.

Patient Safety and Quality at Macquarie University Health focuses on its accountability to meet standards of performance in all aspects of operational and clinical governance.

We maintain a comprehensive patient safety and quality system and is accredited to the National Safety and Quality in Health Service Standards.

To ensure that the system is successfully implemented we:

• identify patient requirements
• ensure our staff are aware of their responsibilities by providing training and professional development opportunities
• ensure the patient safety and quality management system is consistently followed
• actively seek patient experience feedback.

Our performance is measured through:

• participation in benchmarking programs monitored by the Australian Council of Healthcare Standards
• a comprehensive clinical review program focusing on patient care within the different specialties of medicine and surgery
• assessment against the requirements of the National Safety and Quality in Health Service Standards
• internal auditing program
• patient feedback program.

R.E.A.C.H. program

We understand that you know yourself and your loved one best.

Macquarie University Health has implemented the Clinical Excellence Commission’s R.E.A.C.H. program to help patients, carers or families to raise a concern about a worrying change in theirs or a loved one’s physical or mental condition.

We encourage you to firstly speak to your nurse or doctor when you notice a worrying change. If you are still concerned after speaking to a member of your healthcare team REACH provides you with an alternative way to escalate your concerns.

Recognise – you may recognise a worrying change in your family member or friend's condition, or in yourself before it is evident to staff members.

Engage – we encourage you to talk to your nurse or doctor and tell them your concerns.

Ask – ask the nurse in charge for a clinical review. This should occur within 30 minutes.

Call – if you are still concerned, call for an emergency response by phoning  02 9812 3257 or ask for the ward phone. State the ward and patient's name.

Help – calling the R.E.A.C.H. number 02 9812 3257 will initiate help to come to the patient.

Staff will not be offended if a REACH call is made. We want our patients, family members and carers to be actively involved in their or their loved one’s care.