Community nursing, mental health services, out patient services and maternity services will all be subject to the Friends and Family Test by March 2015, the government has announced.
Today the test – which consists of asking “Would you recommend this service to your friends and family?” – will be rolled out to every maternity service in England today.
A&E departments and inpatient hospital wards have been subject to the test since April 2013.
Community nursing, mental health services, out patient services and maternity services will all be subject to the Friends and Family Test by March 2015, the government has announced.
Today the test – which consists of asking “Would you recommend this service to your friends and family?” – will be rolled out to every maternity service in England today.
A&E departments and inpatient hospital wards have been subject to the test since April 2013.
The Department of Health believes it gives hospitals “real time feedback” on services, increasing the transparency on NHS data.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: “We’ve seen how services like Walsall Hospital have made huge improvements by listening to patients. Making the Friends and Family Test apply to all parts of the NHS will make those improvements go further and faster.
“The NHS is embracing the need for more patient feedback – these are the seeds of lasting culture change. Patients will be given unparalleled opportunities to hold health services to account and choose their care as the Friends and Family Test is rolled out across the NHS.”
And the test will also be used in further education, Jobcentre Plus and the National Citizen service by March 2015.
Francis Maude, Minister for the Cabinet office said: “We know that transparency delivers better public services. It drives up standards, informs choice and holds providers to account. This extension of the Friends and Family Test will put more power in the hands of the public, allowing them to give clear and honest feedback on the services that hard-working families use every day.”
