Token boxes have been introduced in the Emergency Department (ED) at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital so patients can have their say about their care quickly and easily.
The boxes are mounted on the waiting room wall under the question ‘how likely are you to recommend our A&E department to friends and family if they needed similar care or treatment?’.
The question forms the basis of the Friends and Family Test, launched in April 2013 to determine if patients would recommend their local NHS care. Patients can choose which box they want to drop their token into, with options ranging from ‘extremely likely’ to ‘extremely unlikely’.
Previously patients in ED were asked to fill in forms stating whether they would recommend the department. However, in line with other emergency departments across the country, the response rate was low.
Rohana Lustig, Emergency Department Deputy General Manager, said: “To get maximum feedback, we are eager to provide a variety of ways for our patients to give us their views. The new token boxes take seconds to use, so patients in a hurry or who do not like filling out forms can still give us their opinions.
“Our top priority is to deliver high-quality care to patients, so we are keen to get as much feedback as possible. The token box results will allow us to gain a greater understanding of patient needs and rapidly address any areas needing improvement.”
Monthly analysis of the responses in the token boxes will be a used to compare hospital standards across the nation and to improve the quality of care.
Paula Shobbrook, Director of Nursing, said: “The Friends and Family Test is a very easy but extremely useful indicator on how patients rate their hospital experience so I would encourage every patient to give us their feedback. The feedback we get is then used to improve the patient experience.”
Log on to www.rbch.nhs.uk/fft to see the monthly results from the Friends and Family Test for the Emergency Department and wards across the hospital.
(l-r) Healthcare assistant Matt Hayward and ED Deputy General Manager Rohana Lustig with the feedback boxes.
