Scottish Inpatient Patient Experience Survey 2014 Volume 2: Technical Report

Appendix C: Survey Materials - Covering Letter

First Name Middle Name Last Name
Address 1
Address 2
Address 3
Address 4
Address 5

Dear First Name Last Name

I would like to invite you to take part in a survey about your most recent stay in the NHS Site in NHS Board. We are sending questionnaires to patients to collect their views about their experiences of the care they received. Your feedback is very important so please complete the survey if you can.

The survey is being carried out to help us understand more about the quality of NHS services and what needs to be improved. Results from the survey will be shared with the hospital and NHS Board where you received care, however, all of the answers you provide will be entirely confidential and none of the staff who treated you will know if you responded.

You can complete the survey online at: www.quality-health.co.uk/si14; password:

Alternatively you can complete the enclosed questionnaire and return it in the FREEPOST envelope provided.

You will receive a reminder in a couple of weeks if you have not returned your questionnaire. So if you wish to take part, please respond as quickly as possible to save the cost of sending a reminder. Alternatively, if you do not want to take part, you can opt out by returning the questionnaire blank or by calling the FREEPHONE helpline number below.

If you need more information or have any questions about completing in the survey, please phone our FREEPHONE Survey Helpline on 0800 783 1775. The line is open between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday and there is an answerphone at all other times where you can leave a message.

Thank you very much for your time.

Yours sincerely

Chief Executive
NHS Board Name

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 2014 on http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Health/InpatientSurvey/inpatients2014.

How do I complete the survey?

You can complete the survey online at www.quality-health.co.uk/si14. Alternatively you can complete the enclosed questionnaire and return it in the FREEPOST envelope provided. Please do not send your questionnaire to your NHS Board. Your responses will be completely confidential and none of the health professionals involved in your care will see them.

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 questions based on the hospital named in this letter (i.e. the hospital from which you were discharged).

Can someone help me with the survey?

Yes, 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 0800 783 1775. 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?

Taking part is voluntary and if you do, you don't have to answer every question. There are several equalities questions which ask about age, gender, disability, ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation. These have been included to help us better understand the experiences of different equality groups but they are entirely voluntary.

If you do not want to receive any more reminders about the survey, please call our FREEPHONE helpline number on 0800 783 1775 or return the questionnaire blank.

How did you get my name and address?

NHS Scotland 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 a patient survey contractor, Quality Health Ltd, only so that they can send you this questionnaire. Quality Health 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.