Six NHS organisations across the South received awards in a national competition recognising success in delivering the Friends and Family Test patient feedback tool.

As part of the Spotlight Week to promote the Friends and Family Test, the awards were announced at a national conference held on Thursday. They included:

• Winner of the Primary Care category: A team award for the FFT team at Bradford on Avon & Melksham Health Partnership
• Winner of the Other NHS service category: A team award for Wexham Park Hospital’s Emergency Department, Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
• Highly Commended in the Other NHS Service category: A team award for Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Runner-up in the FFT Champion category: East Surrey Hospital’s Emergency Department, Surrey & Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
• Highly Commended in the FFT Champion category: An individual award for Mike Swallow, IT Manager, Burnham Health Centre
• Runner-up in the Best Accessibility Initiative category: A team award for Frenchay Brain Injury Rehabilitation Centre, Bristol

21 nominations were received for organisations across the South region, all showcasing excellence in implementing the Friends and Family Test, increasing awareness and participation and developing new initiatives to make it easier to help patients have their say to make improvements in care.

The Friends and Family Test asks the question: “How likely are you to recommend this service to your friends and family?” with follow-up free-text questions for patients, carers and family to provide detailed feedback on what was done well or where things could be better.

The Friends and Family Test was first introduced in April 2013 and has now been rolled-out across all sectors of NHS care, from General Practice to A&E, from dental to community healthcare.

Since it began, over 3.5million pieces of patient feedback have been gathered from across the South region and nearly 17million nationally. The majority of the feedback is positive, with around 9 out of every 10 patients saying they would recommend the service their family and friends.

Responses include comments on simple improvements such as the cleanliness of facilities or provision of information – with the feedback helping an NHS service to make quick changes.   Feedback has also helped drive more complex matters such as improving staff training or even identifying safety issues.

Sarah Elliott, Chief Nurse, NHS England South said: “I congratulate all those recognised in these awards. We saw a very high quality of entries and we should be extremely proud of the progress made in implementing the Friends and Family Test.

“It is so important that across the NHS we ensure we are making it easy for patients to have their say on the quality of services to help us constantly improve.

“As we come to the end of the Spotlight Week, I urge everyone to have their say through the Friends and Family Test.”

Watch our film with winners Bradford on Avon & Melksham Health Partnership below.

Download and view details of the FFT responses for the South Region.