Health Patient experience
- Open Public Services White Paper (Cabinet Office) - Which? Response (PDF: 184Kb)
05 October 2011Which? broadly welcomed the opening up of public services, arguing that four key principles would be key to making it work: quality standards across the board; real choices that people are equipped to make; the right information at the right time in the right ways; and effective redress when things go wrong.
- Liberating the NHS: Greater choice and control - Which? Response (PDF: 96Kb)
14 January 2011Which? agreed that choice can drive up quality and improve consumer experience. However, there are differences between this sector and other markets. Which? wanted to see patients given the support they need to make the choices that are right for them.
- Liberating the NHS: An information revolution - Which? Response (PDF: 608Kb)
14 January 2011Which? agreed that patients must have access to the information they want to make choices about their health care. However, the Information Strategy must balance the right to freely access information with the need for data to be reliable and secure.
- Transparency in outcomes: A framework for the NHS - Which? Response (PDF: 110Kb)
11 October 2010Which? argued that providers must communicate how patient feedback has driven improvements to inspire further engagement. The five themes proposed for the interim patient experience indicator require adaptation so that they make sense to consumers.
- Local democratic legitimacy in health - Which? Response (PDF: 47Kb)
11 October 2010Which? believed that local HealthWatch should have a role seeking views on whether commissioners and services were taking account of the NHS Constitution, helping people to complain and communicating where patient feedback has improved services.
- Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS - Which? Response (PDF: 578Kb)
05 October 2010Which? argued that information to help patients choose health services should come from a single online provider, with NHS Choices best placed to do this. To cater for the full range of patient needs, information must also be available in non-online formats.
- NHS car parking: Improving access for patients - Which? Response (PDF: 130Kb)
23 February 2010Which? argued that NHS hospital car parking is a significant issue for consumers. Problems with parking capacity and payment methods are common, and cost is an issue for many. Which? wants hospitals to develop more user friendly parking arrangements.
- A three-digit number for non-emergency healthcare calls - Which? Response (PDF: 82Kb)
27 July 2009Which? strongly supports a three-digit number for non-emergency healthcare services. We argue that the fairest and most transparent charging structure is to link the cost of calling this number to a genuine local or national rate.
- The use of 084 numbers for NHS services - Which? Response (PDF: 67Kb)
31 March 2009Which? argued that that the use of 084 numbers to call NHS services should be prohibited. Whatever phone numbers are used, patients and the public should not have to pay anything other than low cost call rates in order to access NHS services.
- Reform of health and social care complaints - Which? Response (PDF: 71Kb)
09 January 2009We called for recommended timescales for complaints processing and a duty on PCTs to monitor complaints. More detail was needed on the role of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, and more resources for Patient Advice and Liaison Services.
- Hospital Companion - Which? Report (PDF: 927Kb)
01 March 2008Produced as part of our Impatient for Change campaign, this guide provided helpful information and practical advice to patients and carers to help them feel more confident when in hospital themselves or visiting a friend or family member.
- Hospitals: The patients' perspective - Which? Report (PDF: 420Kb)
27 September 2007Our research identified worrying levels of dissatisfaction with basic levels of care, including food, cleanliness and the opportunities for patients to provide. The NHS must do more to ask patients about their experiences and act on what they say.
- Which Choice? Health - Which? Report (PDF: 579Kb)
01 July 2005Which? reported that consumers’ priority is for access to good local services. Choice for its own sake is not desirable: it must deliver better healthcare for individuals and society. People look to health professionals for guidance to make choices.
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