Scottish Inpatient Patient Experience Survey 2012 Volume 2: Technical Report

Appendix E: Survey materials - Second reminder

Some Questions & Answers

What is this survey for?
The survey asks about your experiences of your recent stay in hospital. The information that you give is important because it will help us to understand more about the quality of services, and what needs to be improved. The results of the survey will be published in late summer 2012 on www.bettertogetherscotland.com

How did you get my name and address?
NHSScotland stores your contact details securely and confidentially under the terms of the Data Protection Act. We picked names at random from a database of patients who had a recent overnight stay in hospital. Your contact details have been passed to [survey contractor], only so that they can send you this questionnaire. [Survey contractor] does not have access to information about your medical details and your contact details will be destroyed by the contractor once the survey is completed.

I've visited this hospital more than once, which visit should I refer to?
This questionnaire is about an inpatient visit so means that you should have spent one night or more in hospital. If you have had more than one such visit to the hospital named in this letter then please think about your most recent visit.

I was admitted to one hospital but discharged from another?
As far as possible, please answer the questionnaire based on the hospital named in this letter (ie the hospital from which you were discharged).

Can someone help me with the survey?
A relative, friend or carer may help you to fill in the survey, but please remember that all of the answers should be given from your own point of view. If you would prefer, you can give your answers over the phone instead, by calling the FREEPHONE helpline on XXXX XXX XXXX. The person on the phone will need you to tell them the number that is on the front of this letter.

Do I have to answer the survey?
No, taking part is voluntary, and you don't have to answer every question if you don't want to. Please fill in as much as you can though, because the more that people answer, the more we can understand about the different experiences of people across Scotland.

What is Better Together?
Better Together is Scotland's Patient Experience Programme, using the public's experiences of NHSScotland to improve health services.