21.04.15
Local Healthwatch groups launch NHS comparison websites
Local Healthwatch groups across England are introducing ‘Trip Advisor-style’ NHS service comparison websites.
Fifteen such sites have been launched so far by regional teams of the consumer champion for health and social care.
Some of the sites include information taken from patient survey data and publicise local and national news stories about practices.
Most allow patients to rate the services, following a similar system to Trip Advisor. They can be rated out of five in six categories – cleanliness, staff attitude, waiting time, treatment explanation, quality of care and quality of food.
The latest of these websites to launch is www.comparedrs.com, and operates differently to the others. Run by Healthwatch in Sandwell, West Midlands, it allows patients to find factual up-to-date factual information about GP practices in the area, much of which is not available on NHS Choices. Examples include which practices perform blood tests on site or provide advice over Skype. Information is also available on parking, male and female doctors, opening hours and what specialist services the practices provide.
A Healthwatch spokesman told NHE that it was not a national initiative and each area that had launched a comparison website had done it independently.
He said that reasoning behind them was that NHS Choices does not supply all the information patients might need, such as which GP surgeries do blood tests on-site. He added that it is a surgery’s duty to update their information on NHS Choices and the website does not always have up-to-date information.
Dr Tim Ballard, vice chair of the Royal College of GPs, however, was not enthusiastic at the prospect of these websites. He believes that they will at best only “tell us what we already know”.
He added: “Most of us now go online for advice on almost anything and feedback websites can be a useful way of reaching a decision. But in all walks of life people are much more likely to leave a review after a bad experience than a good one and this can distort the feedback, so people need to be very careful about how they interpret the information.
“It is also worth remembering that many of the things that patients value most highly from their GP and GP practice, such as kind and compassionate care, can never be measured.”
Dr Katherine Rake, CEO of Healthwatch England, said: “A core part of what local Healthwatch do is to provide information and help signpost people to different services, whether this be in person, over the phone or online.
“By helping people to know what services are on offer, we can ensure people are going to the right place to get the care and support they need.
“As well as signposting, Healthwatch are constantly exploring new ways of collecting feedback from people about their experiences. Using this evidence, they can identify areas of good practice and where improvement is needed and then work with GPs and surgeries to make things better.
“Engaging with patients online is an important part of creating a 21st century health service.”
The full list of comparison websites includes:
- healthwatchbirmingham.co.uk
- healthwatch-centralbedfordshire.org.uk
- healthwatchhalton.co.uk
- healthwatchhertfordshire.co.uk
- healthwatchlancashire.co.uk
- healthwatchnorthsomerset.co.uk
- healthwatchnottingham.co.uk
- healthwatchnottinghamshire.co.uk
- healthwatchsolihull.org.uk
- healthwatchtorbay.org.uk
- healthwatchtowerhamlets.co.uk
- healthwatchtrafford.co.uk
- healthwatchwolverhampton.co.uk
- healthwatchyork.co.uk
- comparedrs.com
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