The NHS Friends and Family Test (FFT) was created to help service providers and commissioners understand whether patients are happy with the service provided, or where improvements are needed. It’s a quick and anonymous way to give your views after receiving NHS care or treatment.
Your opinion and experience of our services is important to us. You can rate the care or treatment you received and help us improve our services below:
Adult Inpatient areas / Postnatal / ED – www.oc-meridian.com/OCQ/u/MTWAS
Antenatal Clinic / Community – www.oc-meridian.com/OCQ/u/MTWAN
Childrens areas / Paeds ED / Treetops – www.oc-meridian.com/OCQ/u/MTWCH
Homebirth – www.oc-meridian.com/OCQ/u/MTWHB
Outpatient Clinics – www.oc-meridian.com/OCQ/u/MTWOC
Outpatient Departments including Radiology / fluro / nuc med / CT / X-ray – www.oc-meridian.com/OCQ/u/MTWOD
How the FFT works
After you’ve completed your treatment or you’re discharged from a service, you may be invited to complete the FFT.
You may be asked while you’re still on the premises, or you may be contacted later. Some providers may ask you to give your feedback by post, by text message, over the phone or using their website.
Not all service providers ask patients to complete the FFT, but you should be able to give feedback if you want to. For example, most GP and dental practices have feedback forms in their waiting rooms, which you can complete. Ask at reception if you cannot find a feedback form and you want to give feedback.
Filling out the FFT form
You’ll be asked: “Overall, how was your experience of our service?”
You can rank your answer from “very good” to “very poor”. You’ll have the opportunity to explain your score by adding comments, and you may also be asked some follow-up questions. This is important because service providers can only make changes if they know exactly what is or is not working.
You can ask a member of staff how this information is used.
How will the results be used?
Service providers will collect the results and analyse them to see if any action is needed. The responses to the FFT question will be used to create an overall score that will be published on the NHS website. The anonymous comments from service users are retained by the service and passed on to staff and managers.
Service providers are also encouraged to inform patients about the comments and suggestions they’ve received, and include the actions they’re planning to take in response.