Patients to have their say

More than 35,000 patients across the UK will be given the chance to have their say about their treatment, thanks to a major new survey by Bupa.

The results will provide the leading health and care company with a better understanding of the experiences of private patients so that it can further improve the quality of care and develop services tailored to their needs.

The survey will be carried out by the Picker Institute, which has over 20 years' expertise in measuring the experiences of patients not only in the UK but also in Europe and the USA. It will provide the first comprehensive picture of the views of private patients in more than 200 UK hospitals.

Rather than simply asking patients to rate how satisfied they were with their care, the survey will look at a wide range of topics such as how well doctors explained answers to their questions and how involved they felt in decision-making about their treatment. It will focus on understanding everything about their experience in hospital, from the time of admission to whether their care needs were met after treatment.

Dr. Rebecca Small, assistant clinical director at Bupa UK Health Insurance, said: "The Picker Institute is an extremely well respected organisation with a great deal of experience in seeking patients' views. This survey will give us a better understanding of what really matters to people when they go into hospital and identify where improvements can be made both to their hospital experience and the quality of their care."

Sally Donovan, survey development manager, the Picker Institute said: "We are pleased to be working with Bupa, who is leading its field in understanding and recognising the importance of making patients' views count, and in measuring private patients' experience across the independent sector."