As the senior sister on Ward 1, the results of the Friends and Family Test are extremely important to me and my team - Emma Turner

Emma Turner, senior sister on Ward 1

Emma Turner, senior sister on Ward 1

As the senior sister on Ward 1, it’s really important to me and my team of dedicated nurses that we deliver the very best possible standards of care for our patients. Patient care is always our top priority at The Christie, no matter which part of the hospital you are in. 

Getting feedback from our patients is one of the most important ways we can find out how we are doing and learn what we need to do to drive improvements to our service. 

One of the best ways we have to gather feedback is through a survey called the Friends and Family Test (FFT), an anonymous survey which we ask all of our patients to complete when they are discharged.

The Friends and Family Test asks patients two questions; how likely they are to recommend our ward and what were the best/worst aspects of the service. The results of the FFT highlight the aspects of our care which make a difference to our patients and how we can make it even better. The percentage of patients who are ‘extremely likely’ to recommend our care is also fed back monthly as the ‘Friends and family score’.

As the senior sister on Ward 1, the results of the FFT are extremely important to me and my colleagues.

The feedback allows us to focus on what really matters to our patients, driving us to provide world class care that is centred on the patient experience.  By giving our patients a voice in the development of our service we have found that even small changes have improved their time with us.

Just one example of patient led change is our staff board. On the suggestion of a patient, we developed a board next to the nurses’ station which displays pictures of the nursing team on shift that day, their names, role and who they are looking after. The picture of the patient’s nurse that shift is also placed on the board next to their bed.

This has been warmly received by both the patients, relatives and by staff as it ensures a designated staff member can be recognised at all times. Personally, I feel that involving patients and listening to their feedback not only improves the ward but reminds them that their individual journey is at the heart of our care.

As well as allowing patients a chance to steer the development of the ward, the FFT also allows them to give the ward positive feedback. For me, informing staff of the praise we receive is one of the best parts of my job. It reminds staff that the work and dedication they put in really makes a difference, and that good care changes lives.

After some incredible feedback I just had to make a poster displaying some of the comments on the ward because everyone deserves to be reminded that, and I quote, we provide the same service as a “5 star hotel.” This type of feedback gives us all the drive to give that little bit extra every time, as well as reassuring new patients about the quality of our care.

Finally the FFT score provides us with the ultimate review of the care we provide – whether they would recommend the ward to their friends and family - or not. I am proud to say that since the official opening of Ward 1 we have never dropped below 96%. And have had the best score in of any wards at The Christie since October 2015.

This score reflects that the care we provide is gold standard and patient centric, reassures new patients that they are safe in our hands and encourages our staff to always go the extra mile.

So if you are a Christie patient, please take a few minutes to fill out the Friends and Family Test. Your feedback really does make a difference and helps us to improve care for all patients.

You can read more about the Friends and Family Test and see some of the feedback from our patients by visiting www.christie.nhs.uk/about-us/our-standards/patient-surveys/the-friends-and-family-test/