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Patient Experience

Patient Experience

Involving our patients, relatives, carers and community to improve patient experience is central to our success as an organisation.

Patients tell us they care about their experience of care as much as clinical effectiveness and safety. They want to feel informed, supported and listened to so they can make meaningful decisions and choices about their care. They want to be treated as a person, not a number, and they value efficient processes.

The Government has made it clear that patient experience is a crucial part of quality healthcare provision. The NHS Constitution, the Outcomes Framework, Organisation Development Agency and the NICE Quality Standards for Experience all reinforce the need for patient centre care as one key element.

Patient experience occurs at three primary levels:

  • Involving patients and families in their own care and supporting them to make informed choices about their treatment and care
  • Using patient experience in a particular area or areas to improve services
  • At a strategic level, to ensure the public are able to actively contribute to the organisation's strategic direction.

 

 

How to get more involved

The Patient Panel

If you or a member of your family have used our services and would like to become involved in contributing to future community healthcare developments and improvements, why not join our Patient Panel.

To register your interest or to find out more, please contact our patient experience team on 01473 704353 or email patient.experience@esneft.nhs.uk

Patient Participation Group

A Patient Participation Group (PPG) is a group of patients, carers and GP practice staff who meet to discuss practice issues and patient experience to help improve the service.

If you are interested in joining your surgery PPG, please contact the Practice Manager. 

Patient Story

Patient Stories involves interviewing patients directly to gather their insights on the service they have received, either as part of a particular service redesign project or to complement North East Essex Community Services' broader programme of service improvement. Stories told by individuals from their own perspectives are of particular interest, including:

  • A patient or someone close to them who has experienced excellent care or improvement in services
  • Someone who has had an unsatisfactory experience of healthcare, including an experience of physical or emotional harm.

 

The story will be presented at a monthly Board meeting and the patient or family member is encouraged to attend and “tell their story”. They may ask the relevant health professional to attend on their behalf.

The idea is to gain an understanding of the healthcare experience of the storyteller: what was good, what was bad and what would make the experience more positive.

An individual story is not in itself representative of all patient experiences. However, each story is valid, as it is the individual’s healthcare experience. Collectively, stories can help us build a picture of what it is like as a service-user and how we can improve the service we provide.

To register your interest or to find out more please contact our patient experience team on 01473 704353 or email patient.experience@esneft.nhs.uk

Family & Carer Strategy – The Triangle of Care

The Triangle of Care brings together carers, service users and professionals to promote safety and recovery for people with health issues by encouraging their well-being through the inclusion and support of carers.

Six key elements (standards) to achieving Triangle of Care are:

  • Carers and the essential role they play are identified at first contact or as soon as possible thereafter
  • Staff are “carer” aware and trained in carer engagement strategies
  • Defined post(s) responsible for carers are in place (Family & Carer Champion)
  • A carer introduction to the service is available
  • A range of carer support services is available
  • Policy & practice protocols, re confidentiality and information sharing, are in place

Please ask to speak to the Family & Carer Champion in the ward, service or clinic you are accessing.

Patient Experience Volunteer

In January 2019 we recruited a Patient Experience volunteer who will support the Lead for Quality Improvement -Patient Experience to capture patient experience and enable patients’ views to influence service delivery. This will include supporting patients and their families with carrying out surveys, setting up or advocating patient forums and attending or facilitating promotional events to help enhance the patient experience.

Working closely with the Quality Lead and the Family & Carer Champions the volunteer will liaise with patients and families to obtain feedback on the experience of receiving care from our services.

Patient Advice & Liaison Service (PALS)

PALS provides confidential advice and support to help patients, relatives and their carers resolve any concerns they may have about the care North East Essex Community Services provides. We can assist in liaising with other staff members on your behalf. We are here to listen to your concerns, point you in the right direct for advice and help and hopefully offer a quick resolution.

We are also keen to receive your feedback about your treatment either in a positive or negative way as well as pass on your compliments to our teams.

If something is bothering you, speak to the person providing your care in the first instance. If you have tried this, or you do not feel comfortable discussing your concerns with the staff, then please contact PALS.

Our dedicated PALS team offers impartial advice and support and is available from 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday. Please call us using our Freephone number 0800 783 7328, or call on 01206 746 448 / 01206 742 683. All telephone lines have an option to leave a message if the PALS officers are unable to take your call. Please do leave your name and a telephone number and one of our PALS officers will return your call as soon as possible.

Alternatively you can email us at pals@esneft.nhs.uk.

Making a complaint

North East Essex Community Services is committed to listening to the views of patients and the public about the care we provide. We value comments on our services as a mechanism for learning and improving and we are committed to ensuring that patients, their relatives and carers are not treated differently as a result of raising a complaint or a concern.  

Should anyone be dissatisfied with the care we provide, we believe they have a right to be heard and for their concerns to be dealt with promptly, effectively and courteously. 

Click here for a copy of our leaflet for more information.

To contact the Complaints Team, please call 01206 742881.

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