Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust has created an app for patients to complete the Friends and Family Test.
The app was developed by the trust in conjunction with Winchester Innovations. It can be downloaded through the Apple app store and the trust is also working with the company on an Android version.
It allows patients to answer the Friends and Family test questions and leave comments. It also contains useful information for patients and visitors such as contact details, a map of the hospital and news items on the trust’s website.
The Friends and Family Test requires Salisbury, like all trusts nationwide, to ask inpatients and emergency patients how likely they are to recommend the A&E or ward they were on to friends and family, if they needed similar care or treatment.
The results of the test are published monthly by NHS England and NHS Choices and by the trust on its website, along with comments from patients.
Fiona Hyett, Salisbury’s deputy director of nursing, said the app makes it easier for patients to feedback, providing the trust with information to see where they are doing well and where they can make improvements.
“It’s essential that we use every opportunity to gauge people’s views of the hospital and the national Friends and Family test complements our existing ‘real time’ feedback initiative where patients are regularly asked for their views. The Friends and Family test gives us an additional opportunity to ensure we are truly focused on the experience of our patients,” she said.
The Friends and Family test will shortly be extended to cover maternity departments as well as to GPs, community and mental health services from January 2015.
For other areas of acute care – such as outpatient and day case services – and other areas of primary care – such as pharmacists, dentists and opticians – the latest start date will be April 2015.