At Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust we welcome all feedback relating to concerns, whether it be via a complaint, a comment made on a survey or brought to our attention in another way. Feedback from our patients, their families, carers or friends helps us to make improvements to the services we provide.
Here are some examples of what you said and what we did to make improvements:
"There are very long waiting times from referral, for children to be seen by the service."
Changes have been made to the therapy offered, with a focus on fewer sessions offered at a time and aimed at upskilling families to support their children’s communication development at home. This will enable the service to identify those children who will benefit from more intensive direct therapy and in turn be seen more quickly.
"There are long waiting times for appointments."
To help reduce the length of waiting times, the service recruited five dietitians to undertake virtual appointments.
"Parents would like face-to-face appointments for their children."
The service is gradually opening up face to face availability and will be offering these appointments where needed.
"Relatives felt that the patient discharge letter did not include all the necessary information."
Changes to the patient record system now allows for more information to be included, from all relevant health professionals.
"Patients and their family members felt they could be involved more in decisions about care and treatment."
To raise awareness of the importance of involving patients and their relatives, staff undertook relevant training.
"It is a very long wait for the next appointment, following the initial consultation within a prison setting."
Extra sessions were provided, to help reduce the waiting times for patients to be seen.
"A parent attending a workshop felt questions about female genital mutilation (FGM) were inappropriate for that particular session."
For future workshops, the service added a framed question about FGM and produced guidance for staff to assist with parental questioning.
"Missed telephone calls from the service were not returned and as no messages were left the parent was unaware who had rung. Parent was then advised by letter that child had been discharged from the service."
A new process has been put in place which entails the service making two attempts to contact parents, including leaving voice messages and allowing a reasonable time frame for contact to be made with the service, before it is necessary to discharge the child and a re-referral is needed.
"There was a misunderstanding about the reception-aged programmes being opt-out rather than consent being required."
In preparation for next year, the service amended the parent/carer letter, to include clear explanation that the programmes are opt-out and details on how to do so if required.
"The process and content of group webinars for parents could be improved."
Changes made:
Parents are now given an option at triage to proceed straight to webinar without an initial assessment.
Prior to webinar, assessment has been amended to check understanding of webinar and foundations of sleep.
Content of webinars re-written as the foundations to frame healthy sleep.
Clear options are provided on webinar and by staff on how to access more support.
Taking questions from parents during a webinar is being trialled.
The pack provided following a webinar has been renewed; a copy of webinar and clear discharge letter with links and instructions on how to access more support.
"The phone number on the website was incorrect."
The service reviewed service page and made changes to include the correct contact details.
"Carers/relatives of patients would like better communication from ward staff."
The ward re-introduced the 'named nurse' system, so that each patient is allocated a specific staff member for them and their families to liaise with.
"Patient felt the food did not meet their dietary requirements."
To establish any specific food requirements, staff will ensure that allergy and special diet sheets are completed with patients upon admission and passed onto the Head Chef.
"When triaged, the next appointment was made with the incorrect clinician."
The staff undertaking triage now have access to a team’s chat group, so they gain instant advice from each other, if needed, to ensure patients are placed on the correct pathway and booked in to see the right clinician.
"There was lack of communication with a parent regarding additional triage required for their child, prior to a vaccination. As a result, the child was unable to receive their vaccination when they attended their appointment and therefore had a wasted journey with their parent."
A process was put in place, whereby when additional triage is required for a child and staff have been unable to speak with a parent before a scheduled session, they will ask schools to make a final call to the parent on the day of the vaccination.
"Inpatients said the television sets had poor signal."
The service approached the League of Friends who purchased new televisions, one for each bed.
"Treatment was provided by a male clinician, when a female would have been preferred."
Clinicians within the sexual health service will make it clear when they are booking an appointment whether it is to see a male or female staff member, to ensure the patient has the opportunity to voice an objection.
