All patients should have the opportunity to provide feedback on their experiences of using NHS-funded healthcare and we can help to achieve this by making sure that the Friends and Family Test (FFT) is as accessible as possible.

The FFT guidance section ‘7.3 Making the FFT Inclusive’ sets out advice as to how particular groups of people can be supported and empowered to participate in the FFT.

For access to any of the materials described in this section, please visit the Campaign Resource Centre website.

Tips and examples

Our case studies provide examples of the work of some providers to make the FFT inclusive.

We also have a number of examples of work undertaken around the country in recent years to make the FFT inclusive for people who might otherwise be excluded. Please note that these may feature the previous FFT question rather than the current one, but much of the good practice still applies. If you then use material produced by any of the contributing organisations, please remember to credit them.

Children and young people

We have some examples from Birmingham Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, who have kindly given their permission for their materials to be shared as good practice. Please note that these may feature the previous FFT question rather than the current one but much of the good practice still applies.

Learning disabilities

We can share a guide to help NHS staff to support people with a learning disability so that they can give feedback on their experiences. We also have some examples of how to present the FFT question in an ‘easy read’ format across different healthcare services. This means presenting text in a simple, easy to understand format, sometimes with pictures. This format can be useful for people with learning disabilities, but may also be beneficial for children and for other people with other conditions affecting how they process information.

Dementia

We have a guide on how to make it easier for people with dementia to give feedback.

Blind and vision loss

We have an example large print format for people with vision loss.

British Sign Language

We have a guide available on how to support a deaf person and on the use of British Sign Language interprets. The FFT question and response options presented as short videos in British Sign Language are available for 15 healthcare settings:

1. Thinking about your GP practice
2. Thinking about your stay in the hospital
3. Thinking about your dental practice
4. Thinking about your recent visit to A&E
5. Thinking about this maternity service
6. Thinking about our antenatal service
7. Thinking about our labour ward
8. Thinking about our birthing unit
9. Thinking about our homebirth service
10. Thinking about our postnatal ward
11. Thinking about our postnatal community service
12. Thinking about your recent appointment
13. Thinking about your recent visit
14. Thinking about our recent visit
15. Thinking about the service we provide

Translation to other languages

The opportunity to give feedback should also be available to people whose first language is not English.  We can provide translations of the FFT question for a range of languages across different healthcare settings (see below).  There are also some tips available on the use of interpreters.

We can help with prepared translations for a range of questions and response options, to be used as set out in the FFT implementation guidance section ‘7.3 Making the FFT Inclusive’.

These are available in the following languages: