Policy & guidance

Obtaining Patient Feedback Policy

"The NHS Plan sets out our ambition to create a patient centred NHS. Our vision is to move away from an outdated system, towards a new model, where the voice of the patient is heard through every level of service, acting as a powerful lever for change and improvement. Our goal is to move away from a paternalistic model of decision making, towards a model of partnership where by citizens have a greater connection with their local services, and have a say on how they are designed, developed and delivered."

Shifting the Balance of Power, Dept of Health 2001

"The NHS Plan requires each NHS Trust to obtain feedback from patients about their experience of care. Listening to patients views is recognised as essential to delivering the commitments given in the NHS Plan to provide a patient centred health service."

Healthcare Commission web site

In response to these and other such statements the Trust has been actively involving patients. One way the Trust has done this is by obtaining feedback after care has been given, and by obtaining information from members of the public on their expectations.

Since the merging of three ambulance services into the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) strategies and policies have been reviewed and combined. The Trust‘s Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Strategy 2007/10 clearly identifies obtaining patient feedback as a critical element; this document sets out the Trust policy surrounding such activity.