Postcard Safety: great idea from the NHS

How postcards that asked four simple questions improved patient feedback on safety: A postcard that patients can use to give feedback on their hospital experience is the latest measure adopted by a trust since it signed up to Patient Safety First...

More here (thanks to Nursing Times & Helen Noble, clinical governance and patient safety manager, Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Healthcare Trust - who developed the idea)

The questions are:

• Did you feel safe in hospital? Yes/no. If no, please give further details;
• Were you given enough information in relation to your hospital stay/treatment? Yes/no. If no, please give further details;
• Was a member of staff readily available when you needed them? Yes/no. If no, please give further details;
• Do you feel the physical environment was safe? Yes/no. If no, please give further details.

I posed the question - why not ask for the positive feedback too? Appreciation can lead to improvements as well.