Do you have comments that you’d like to make about your hospital treatment?

Have you hesitated about giving feedback in case you were ignored, or perhaps labelled a “trouble-maker”?

Well, here is a brand new way of giving feedback – good or bad.  Your comments can help to highlight good care and to improve standards where they are poor.

The M.A. is delighted to support Patient Opinion¹ -  a UK website which enables patients to use the power of the Internet to share their stories with the NHS. 

All health services need to hear the voices of their users if they are to improve what they do. Nobody knows better than patients, and their partners and relatives, about what it feels like to use the service – and often, where and how it could be better.

Patient Opinion helps make that possible.  You can send them – or telephone - your story which will usually be posted on the site², anonymously, within a few days. 

Where the hospital concerned is linked to Patient Opinion, they will be able to read and respond to your comments through the website.  If not, Patient Opinion can send your comments to the right local hospital managers.

What’s more, The M.A. will also be notified of any comments regarding pregnancy loss, so that we too can make a response either to you or to the hospital – or both.  We’ll aim to offer training, leaflets or just advice to help promote good care.

Already there are signs that hospitals are making changes to their services in response (for examples, see http://www.patientopinion.org.uk/info.aspx?pageID=make_a_difference).

So if you have something to say about your recent experiences of health care, go to www.patientopinion.org.uk or phone 0845 113 0012 and share your story – you’ll be helping the improve the NHS for everyone.