Routinely seek, act on, and publish patient feedback and experience surveys across NHS

The Index has not yet recorded a verbatim government response to this recommendation.

See our response to Recommendation 20 (PALS).

Significant reforms were introduced as a result of the Inquiry. These include:

• A reformed NHS complaints procedure: All providers and commissioners of NHS services are subject to a statutory duty to handle complaints in accordance with the requirements of the 2009 Complaints Regulations. This includes primary care providers and independent sector providers.

• The introduction of Patient Advice and Liaison Services (PALS). PALS has been a part of NHS Trusts since 2002. Patients and their carers should have access to a PALS operated within the provider organisation. This is intended to offer confidential advice, support and information on health-related matters and should be available as a point of contact.

• Service Condition 12 of the NHS Standard Contract, which sets out how providers must communicate and involve service users, public and staff. It specifies that providers must carry out the Friends and Family Test Survey.

• The NHS Friends and Family Test, which is a tool that helps service providers and commissioners understand whether patients / carers are happy with the service provided, or where improvements are needed. It is an anonymous process and asks people if they would recommend services they have used.

• The NHS Patient Survey. All eligible NHS trusts in England participate in the NHS Patient Survey Programme, asking patients their views on their recent health care experiences. The findings from these surveys provide organisations with detailed patient feedback on standards of service and care and can be used to help set priorities for delivering a better service for patients. The survey results are also used by the CQC to measure and monitor performance at both local and national levels .

Other ways of feeding back include:

• Through patient experience surveys: CQC and NHS England publish patient experience surveys in primary and secondary care under their National Patient Survey Programme. Examples include the Cancer Patient Experience survey and the GP Patient Survey.

• The NHS Citizen Advisory Group, which brings together a diverse range of patient and public partners that are involved in work programmes’ involvement networks and fora, with patient and public members of relevant committees, programme boards and working groups.

• The Patient Safety Commissioner. Since her appointment in September 2022, the commissioner has had a key function to amplify the voice of patients at the heart of clinical care.

NHS England is required to carry out an annual assessment setting out how well each ICB has performed on its statutory duties, including how the ICB has promoted patient and public involvement and choice. Assessments can be viewed via individual ICB websites.

The Government agreed with this recommendation.

In its January 2002 response, the Department of Health said that, starting 2002, every acute hospital trust would undertake an annual patient survey. The Department also said it had introduced legislation to establish Patients’ Forums in every NHS trust and primary care trust by April 2003.