How listening to patients

can save Trusts money

Annette Walker MBE

Annette Walker MBE founded Elephant Kiosks in 2005 with the aim of designing and manufacturing inclusive, accessible and attractive touchscreen kiosks and units that would appeal to all user groups, regardless of technical know-how or physical barriers.

Previously Annette had founded Opportunity Links, a Social Enterprise specialising in the delivery of information to families through as many delivery channels as possible. It was through this work, which eventually became national, that Annette received an MBE in 2002.

How listening to patients can save Trusts money

by Mark Worger

listening to patient

Yesterday’s report from the NAO on the Achievement of foundation trust status by NHS Hospital trusts reaffirmed the financial challenges facing many of our hospitals. The report found that of the 113 Trusts scrutinised, 80% face financial issues.

In light of the serious financial situation in some Trusts, we sometimes feel that getting feedback from patients on their experience becomes an administrative exercise that is slightly marginalised. ‘It’s not that getting patient feedback isn’t important’, I was told recently, ‘but it’s just not as important as trying to find a way to pay the bills. If we don’t do that, there will be no hospital, no patients and no experiences anyway’.

I’m glad to say that one of the Trusts we work with is taking a different approach, and beginning to reap the unexpected financial awards. Based in London with all the complexities alluded to in the NAO report, financially their shape is as challenging as it gets. Yet they are determined to improve patient experience and, after a procurement exercise last year, contracted us to provide a real-time patient feedback system. Fast-forward nine months and they have a comprehensive system for collecting patient feedback across the Trust. With surveys delivered on a combination of handheld tablets, accessible kiosks and via the Trust website, patients can leave feedback in every ward and department, across two sites, at home and in person.

With several thousand responses so far, that patient feedback is becoming increasingly valuable. Not only are strengths and weaknesses of services being identified, but the data is also highlighting opportunities to become more efficient and save money. The best example comes from two simple questions asked to patients who are given medicine to take home: “Were you informed what medication side-effects to watch for?” and “Did staff tell you who to contact if you were worried about your condition or treatment after you left hospital?” To date over 45% of respondents answered negatively. Triangulate this statistic with other data in the Trust that shows there is an abnormally high proportion of patients that return to A&E due to side effects from and concerns about their initial treatment, and it paints a powerful picture. In short, providing better information to patients on discharge will reduce the number of return visits to A&E and the enormous costs incurred.

Incidentally, that A&E departments in London are “too often used by people with relatively minor health problems who should be treated in the community” was one of the findings of the NAO report. For our London Trust millions of pounds can now be saved very quickly; all from asking patients what they think and listening to what they have to say.

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