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Using Patient Opinion at Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust

Patrick Mulcahy – Head of Clinical Quality

Background• Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust

provides emergency and urgent care, and patient transport services across Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and the former Avon covering an area of 3,000 square miles with a population of over 2.3 million people.

• The trust employs more than 1,700 staff across 33 operational sites – 30 ambulance stations and three emergency operations centres – and in its headquarters.

• Last year (2010-11), GWAS responded to more than 264,000 emergency calls, responded to over 14,000 Out of Hours home visits and 300,000 Patient Transport Service contacts.

Why did we choose Patient Opinion?•Part of our CQUINS requirement to implement a patient centric feedback system.

•Wanted something that was workable, relevant, innovative and affordable

How did we implement it?•Commissioner agreement

•Trust Board agreement

•Agreed GWAS service lines and small working group.

•Developed internal reporting and response process of 5 working days

•Designed local publicity material

•Coordinated press and media release

•Wrote to all GP practices and PCT’s

Publicity Material

Publicity Material

Responding to posting

•Filtered by service line•A&E Service by sector, ie Avon Gloucestershire and Wiltshire•Patient Transport Service•Emergency Control Centre

•Reviewed by Communications Team

•Feedback to Commissioners

•Signposting other stakeholders

Where are opinions coming from?

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

NHS Wiltshire

NHS Bristol

NHS South Gloucestershire

NHS Dorset

NHS Swindon

Unknown

NHS Gloucestershire

Socio-economic status.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Unknown

IMD 1

IMD 2

IMD 3

IMD 4

IMD 5

Note: 1 = least deprived fifth, 5= most deprived fifth of author's PCT population

Has it been of benefit?

•Sadly you will all recognise this

Trust responseMy husband is waiting to have a heart operation and so we have been taken over to Bristol from Swindon by the Great Western patient transport service twice now. The first time they came for us was in early January, when the weather was really nasty with three inches of snow on the ground. I was a little apprehensive because I'd never been in an ambulance before. I really needn't have worried. They were so kind. My husband uses a wheelchair because he can't walk far without feeling weak and I was worried about the ambulance staff having to wait around while I brought him out but they weren't concerned at all. They were very friendly and completely put my husband and me at ease.

It was a lady and a gentleman that came out to us last time, but yesterday, it was two young guys and they ticked all the boxes. They couldn't have been more polite and helpful. Nothing was too much trouble - they were asking us if we were warm enough and attending to our every need. I couldn't have hoped for better service.

We picked an old lady up on the way and they were so good to her. They put a blanket over her and constantly made sure that she was comfortable. My husband likes to talk, and one of the young guys talked to my husband all the way there. He was as happy as Larry to have someone to chat away with! It really put his mind at rest.

When we got to the hospital, the scanner had broken and so we were transferred up to A&E. I was worried that the ambulance staff wouldn't find us and I'd thought we'd need to walk back down to where they dropped us off but no, in walked the lovely guy to collect us as soon as we were ready to go. I was so impressed. Just as I was getting out of the ambulance at home, I was laughing and joking with the guy and saying I wanted to write a letter about how good they were and he said to give Patient Opinion a ring and share my feedback with you. This is actually a lot easier for me to do and I'm really glad that other people will be able to see how brilliant the ambulance staff are.

We're going again with the ambulance service next Wednesday and honestly it feels like we're going on an outing! We're looking forward to seeing them! They're just such lovely people and made the whole thing so much easier for my husband and I.

What next?

•Continue to increase visibility in service lines

•Improved reporting

•Try and increase comments from ‘seldom heard groups’

•Copy posting onto GWAS internet site

•Smart phone app

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Thank you

Patrick Mulcahy – Head of Clinical Quality