Website welcomes opinions of NHS

Mar 19 2013

Patients can now review their health services online thanks to the launch of an independent website.

Health boards are now part of the Patient Opinion site, providing people with a confidential way of sharing good and bad experiences.

Comments left on the site are sent on to relevant staff who can then respond and use the feedback to change services.

Scottish Ambulance Service participated in a pilot of Patient Opinion and has already used feedback to improve the Patient Transport Service.

The website is currently only available for people in the NHS Highland, Shetland and Ayrshire & Arran areas, as well as for anyone using Scottish Ambulance Service, Healthcare Improvement Scotland and National Education Scotland.

Remaining health boards have been asked to adopt the service by the end of the year.

Health Secretary Alex Neil said: "We want to hear patients' stories first-hand in their own words, whether it's good or bad, because it helps us to make our health services better.

"Now patients, carers and their families will be able to let health boards know, openly and publicly, how a service was for them and where it can improve. And if our health professionals are doing a great job, we want them to know about it.

"The best thing is, staff will receive this feedback in real time rather than having to wait months for the results of our traditional paper surveys."

Dr Paul Hodgkin, chief executive of the website, which describes itself as the UK's leading independent non-profit feedback platform for health services, said: "Lots of people have already taken the opportunity to share their stories on Patient Opinion. We want to encourage even more people to get involved in making our health services even better by sharing their experiences and watching what happens as a result."