Aboriginal people report less respectful hospital care

First Nations patients are less likely have positive experiences of care in hospital than their non-Indigenous counterparts, but Aboriginal health workers can make a significant difference, a report has found.

In 2024, 60 per cent of Indigenous patients rated their care "very good", compared with 67 per cent of non-Aboriginal people.

Aboriginal patients were also 14 per cent less likely to say their cultural or religious beliefs were always respected while in hospital and 11 per cent less likely to say health professionals explained things in a way they could understand.

The report, released by the Bureau of Health Information, was based on the responses of more than 12,000 Aboriginal people who provided feedback on their hospital care in NSW between 2019 and 2024.

Chief executive Hila