NHS Friends and Family Test: giving patients a greater voice
David Cameron: “With the Friends and Family Test, we now have a single measure that looks at the quality of care across the country."
The first results from the NHS Friends and Family Test are published today.
The test asks patients whether they would recommend A&E and inpatient wards to their loved ones based on their own experience. It will grow into the most comprehensive ever undertaken, and covers around 4,500 NHS wards and 144 A&E services. It allows hospital trusts to gain real time feedback on their services down to individual ward level and increases the transparency of NHS data to improve choice and quality.
The test was first announced by the Prime Minister in January 2012 and means that patients will now have a real voice in deciding whether their care is good enough or not – and hospitals will be able to take swift action to make any necessary improvements.
Speaking about the test, the Prime Minister said:
I am determined to give patients a far greater voice within the NHS as a way of highlighting the best and worst of care within our hospitals.
With the Friends and Family Test, we now have a single measure that looks at the quality of care across the country.
I want the NHS to put patient satisfaction at the heart of what they do and expect action to be taken at hospitals where patients and staff say standards are not good enough.
Find out more about the test from NHS England.
Download the data from the Friends and Family Test.