Horizon Centre’s service users have their say

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To offer a better experience to service users on their ward, the team at Horizon Centre in Wakefield have introduced new ways of collecting patient feedback in order to see what they’re doing well and where they could make improvements.

The Horizon Centre is a specialist short term assessment and treatment unit for people with a learning disability over the age of 18.They’ve recently taken on board a volunteer to collect and analyse feedback from service users on the ward which is being used to improve the ward environment.

On the first Thursday of every month the team host a service user forum, where patients can share views about their experiences and what is important to them whilst receiving care in hospital. At the forum, service users will also suggest to staff things that may be useful to ask new people who are admitted to the ward. The service user forum has been highlighted by NHS England as a case study of good practice.

In addition to this, the team have developed a parent and carer questionnaire which asks about their experience on or before admission and during the hospital stay. The Trust shares these findings with staff to continuously improve the services we provide and make sure patients, parents and carers are listened to and their suggestions are acted upon.

Previously, when someone was discharged, a survey would be sent to them in the post to ask about their time on the ward. The team found that the response rate to this was very low, so their volunteer now meets with service users before their discharge to ensure that essential patient feedback is collected.

The team have also created a display where service users can leave a positive message to anyone coming onto the ward. The display, which has a tree design and showcases the Trust’s values, features messages such as “You’re treated like a person” and “Staff were happy and nice.”

Advanced nurse practitioner Enzo Harris said: “It’s really important that we listen to and act on patient feedback as we want to get it right for all the service users in our care. We’ve created a ‘you said, we did’ board on our ward so that people know that their opinions are valued and can make a difference. We’re proud to take on board both the praise and criticism we receive to make sure everyone who comes to our ward has the best experience possible.”

Horizon Centre’s service users have their say

time to read: 2 min