Your services: Your experiences

Every year the health regulator, the Healthcare Commission, carries out a health check to measure the performance and standards of all local NHS trusts.  This annual health check helps to inform the annual rating of each Trust.

Local Involvement Networks (LINks) form part of a national network set up by Parliament from April 2008.  They have statutory powers to obtain the views of local communities, groups and interested individuals about their local NHS services and pass them on to service providers.

Your views are important.  They help to inform decision making and achieve improvements of local health and care.   Your local LINk is seeking evidence based views of communities, groups / organisations and interested individuals to inform their commentary about the health services available to our communities - and how these might be improved.

The survey should only take a few minutes to complete. Information and views obtained will be included in the LINk report to the Healthcare Commission.  Personal details will be excluded and comments will not be attributed. Before responding to this survey, you might want to read through the list of the core standards for the annual health check.  These are available at: The Healthcare Commission

Q1	What is the name of your LINk?

Q2	What type of service provider are you reporting on? (Select ONE only at this point - there is an opportunity to submit multiple reports at the end of the survey)
		Acute Hospital
		Ambulance
		Mental Health Trust
		Primary Care Trust
		Social Care Services

Other, Please Specify

Q3	If you know the name of the Trust please specify in the box below.

Q4	For each statement below please rate the Trust that you have specified above.
		Excellent		Good		Satisfactory		Poor		Rather Not Say
	The ways people can raise concerns about local services are advertised and easy to access
	Handling of Complaints
	Patient Safety
	Involves and consults the public in all work
	Meets national treatment / social care guidelines for the services used
	Services are readily available
	Services are responsive to needs in a timely way
	Facilities are well designed and maintained
	Services meet needs / preferences (there is sufficient Patient Choice)
	Governance (e.g has good systems)
	The trust is run well

Q5	Do you have any comments or concerns to make about the Trust you have specified above.

Q6	Do you have any ideas for service improvement that the Trust you have specified above might consider making.

Q7	From April 2009 the Healthcare Commission will merge with the regulators covering  mental health and Social Care.  Although not specifically covered in this Annual Health check, are there any comments or ideas for service improvements for social care services that you think may be relevant and should be taken into account now?

Finally, it would be helpful to have some general information about you. This will help the LINk to identify if there are any issues that affect particular communities or groups where specific improvements can be made. Information that is provided here will remain confidential to the LINk. Personal details will not be shared with providers or the Healthcare Commission.

Q8	In what capacity
		Service User
		Carer of relative
		Member/on behalf of local Support group
		Member/ on behalf of Expert Patient group
		Member/on behalf of local community group
		Service provider staff member
		Personal or general interest
		LINk member

Q9	Please advise us of your postcode. (this is to identify if there are any issues relating to services in a particular community)

Q10	What is your birthdate? (this is to identify if there are any issues relating to services in a particular age group)

Q11	Do you have any special support needs to help you access local health or social care services?
		Language
		Learning Disability
		Mental Health Support
		Physical Impairment
		Sensory Impairment
		Rather not say

Q12	Please comment on local availability of this support.

Q13	Do you experience any cultural or ethnicity issues that you think acts as a barrier to you accessing health services?
		Yes
		No

Q14	Which of the following best describes your ethnic background?  (this is to identify if there are any issues relating to services to a particular ethnic group)
		White
		Black African
		Afro Caribbean
		Indian
		Pakistani
		Bangladeshi
		Chinese
		Other Asian
		Other

Q15	Please explain/comment on why you feel there is a barrier.

Q16	Do you represent an organisation?  (if applicable)
		Yes
		No

Q17	What is the name of the organisation you represent?

Q18	Would you like more information about your local LINk?
		Yes
		No

Q19	Would you like to answer questions 1 to 5 for any other trusts?
		Yes
		No

Q20	Please provide your contact details in the space below.

Thank you for completing the survey. The information supplied will be provided to the LINk in the form of anonimised evidence to support their report to the Healthcare Commission. If you would like to report on another Trust please repeat by completing the questions below.

Q21	What type of service provider would you like to discuss? (Select one only at this point)
		Acute Hospital
		Ambulance
		Mental Health Trust
		Primary Care Trust
		Social Care Trust

Other, Please Specify

Q22	If you know the name of the trust please specify in the box below.

Q23	For each statement below please rate the trust you have specified above.
		Excellent		Good		Satisfactory		Poor		Rather Not Say
	The ways people can raise concerns about local services are advertised and easy to access
	Handling of Complaints
	Patient Safety
	Involves and consults the public in all work
	Meeting national treatment / Social Care guidelines
	Services readily available
	Services are responsive to needs in a timely way
	Facilities well designed and maintained
	Services meet needs / preferences (there is sufficient Patient Choice)
	Governance (e.g has good systems)
	The trust is run well

Q24	Do you have any comments to make about the trust you have specified above.

Q25	Do you have any ideas for improvement to make about the trust you have specified above.

Q26	Would you like to answer questions 1 to 5 for any other trusts?
		Yes
		No

Q27	What type of service provider would you like to discuss? (Select one only at this point)
		Acute Hospital
		Ambulance
		Mental Health Trust
		Primary Care Trust
		Social Care Trust

Other, Please Specify

Q28	If you know the name of the trust please specify in the box below.

Q29	For each statement below please rate the trust you have specified above.
		Excellent		Good		Satisfactory		Poor		Rather Not Say
	The ways people can raise concerns about local services are advertised and easy to access
	Handling of Complaints
	Patient Safety
	Involves and consults the public in all work
	Meeting national treatment / Social Care guidelines
	Services readily available
	Services are responsive to needs in a timely way
	Facilities well designed and maintained
	Services meet needs / preferences (there is sufficient Patient Choice)
	Governance (e.g has good systems)
	The trust is run well

Q30	Do you have any comments to make about the trust you have specified above.

Q31	Do you have any ideas for improvement to make about the trust you have specified above.

Thank you very much for taking the time to fill out this survey

The survey will be closing on Friday 20th March 2009. When you have completed the survey please click on submit below.

If you would like additional copies of this survey please feel free to contact us directly on 0845 0949497 or forward this survey to anyone else you think might be interested.   You can send your view direct to the Healthcare Commission at any time during the year by contacting their website at The Healthcare Commission