Feedback from service users is very valuable and enables the Trust to feedback to staff what we are doing well and where we need to make improvements. The National Community Mental Health Patient Survey 2012 will be sent out between Feb-March 2012 to a random group of service users who are over 18 years old and have recently used mental health community services. If you are not sent a copy of the survey and would like to give some feedback either contact PALs (contact details below) or if you are over 18 and have recently used community mental health services please complete the following on-line survey:  https://secure.crtviewpoint.com/OnlineSurvey/default.aspx?session=b3453207-7750-487f-832e-a2fc9eda5809

An external company called Quality Health are coordinating the survey on behalf of the Trust so that all responses are confidential and anonymous. Quality Health will send out reminders at various times during March, April and May 2012 to encourage participation in the survey.

Service users will be asked about various aspects of their care, including the quality of care and treatment, staff interactions and involvement, experience of care coordination, experience of care planning and medication management.

The results from the 2011 survey showed us that we scored positively on the number of service users supported in paid employment, giving service users information about the side effects of medication and helping to keep service users in their communities and avoiding admission in the last 12 months. The Trust also scored well in relation to the number of service users who have a copy of their care plan and the care plan setting out agreed goals. There were  areas highlighted for improvement as a result of the survey and these relate to specific areas of care planning – such as service users being given enough time to discuss their condition and treatment, feeling able to have trust and have confidence in staff members and – for service users with more complex care needs – knowing who their care co-ordinator is. The full results from the 2011 Community Mental Health Survey are available from  https://www.cqc.org.uk/survey/mentalhealth/RNU

As a result of last year’s survey and your feedback the Board of Directors agreed a number of actions to improve care planning and we are working to implement a set of standards for those service users whose care needs are less complex and who are therefore not on Care Programme Approach (CPA). A full list of the agreed actions to be taken as a result of the responses can be found in the Trusts Annual Quality Account available from https://www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/about-us/overview/our-performance/quality-account/

We would appreciate service users taking the time to respond to the survey, however, if you would like to have your name removed from the possible list of people chosen to receive a survey please contact PALS either via Freephone: 0800 328 7971 or via their email address: PALS@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk

The responses from the 2012 survey will be published as soon as they are available.

For more information about the survey, please contact either Caroline Birch or Jane Kershaw on their email addresses caroline.birch@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk or jane.kershaw@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk or if you would like to speak to someone please call 01865 782091.