Recommendation IBI-10a(i): Patient Satisfaction in Clinical Audits

The Health Secretary, the Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP, in setting out his mission for saving the NHS earlier this year, stated his aim to return to the “highest patient satisfaction in history”. Giving patients a voice, and then listening to it, will be crucial to the success of this mission. In regard to clinical audits, the principles underpinning these recommendations are well represented within new workstreams commissioned by the UK Government and NHS England. NHS England is undertaking work to understand what already exists across clinical audits and wider, particularly those related to blood, to clarify where there might be gaps in patient involvement and satisfaction/concern reporting and what more can be done to support these recommendations. There may be other measures, alongside what already exists, like Friends and Family Test to better understand patient experience. There are interdependencies with multiple other programmes and strategies to capture patient voice being taken forward by NHS England such as the HaemTrack app and in light of 10YHP policy developments, which will require careful thought and consideration.