PHIN – the Private Hospitals Information Network – aims to provide ‘unbiased information on all private hospitals and consultants’. The organisation is an independent source of information on private healthcare in the UK and we are obliged to provide information about our practice and the services we provide. The idea is to help remove some of the complexity for those who are ‘going private’ for the first time.
That’s why we were particularly pleased this month to be told by PHIN that we had received fantastic feedback in a mandatory patient satisfaction survey. PHIN features surgeons who have more than 30 instances of patient feedback. In the case of Mr James Murphy of Manchester Plastic Surgery, 109 patients responded and 99% said they were extremely likely or likely to recommend to a friend or relative.
The survey questions people on their overall satisfaction with their consultant and whether they feel their needs were met. This includes whether the patient felt things were explained to them clearly, whether they had enough time with their consultant, and whether the consultant showed them understanding when assessing their card needs.
We’re pleased to share the questions and responses with you below:
The survey is usually administered by the hospital, not by the consultant, which, says PHIN, allows patients to feel more comfortable being open and honest during the feedback process. All responses are sent to PHIN and used to calculate the percentage of patients who responded positively to the feedback survey questions.
PHIN says: “While patients that have a poor medical outcome may be more likely to provide negative feedback, the survey doesn’t directly reflect medical competence.
“Instead, it gives an indication of how patients felt they were treated and looked after during their stay when they responded to the questionnaire. This can give you an indication of the experience you may expect.
“The first thing you may wish to check is whether the consultant has any patient feedback at all. While the consultant has no direct input into this process, a lack of feedback may prompt you to ask the consultant about the culture of the hospital where they operate.
“A high patient feedback score shows most patients had a positive experience, while lower scores or a lack of data may prompt you to ask questions of your consultant.”
For more information, please visit the PHIN website here.