6594 More than a Gold Star: FFT feedback in paediatrics

Objectives We are all familiar with the concept of learning from our mistakes in healthcare, helping us achieve better, safer practice. However, little attention is paid to the positive feedback from patients that can be valuable for institutional learning.¹ The NHS Friends and Family Test (FFT), is a tool for feedback launched in 2013 has become the biggest source of patient opinion in the world.² Our aim was to understand the key positive and negative themes in FFT responses across our paediatric departments in our Trust (Childrens' ED, Paediatric assessment unit, paediatric ward, neonatal unit, and physiotherapy). Methods The FFT data was provided by Patient Experience Team for the period between August 2022–2023. A total of 1858 responses across 16 departments for ages 0–16 years. We performed quantitative and qualitative analysis of responses. Results were presented and shared internally to paediatric staff across these areas. Results The results were overwhelmingly positive across all departments, 94% of responses rated the services as 'Good' or 'Very good'. This was echoed in the Childrens' emergency department (93%), day care (91%) and inpatient wards (94%) reporting good/very good experiences. See table 1. Major positive themes identified across departments were short waiting times, kind and hardworking staff, a child-friendly environment, quality of care and excellent communication. The few comments for improvements were discussed with senior managers for action. Conclusion The analysis of FFT responses for children in our Trust demonstrated that majority of patient experiences (94%, n= 1858) were positive. Sharing this analysis served as an opportunity to reflect on the hard work by staff in providing a safe and caring environment to parents and children. Free text comments analysis showed appreciation by parents towards nursing and medical staff. Even with NHS budget cuts, issues with staff retention and low morale, we were surprised with the overwhelming positive response. Presenting our findings helped senior managers and clinicians to recognise importance of patient experience and address areas for improvement. Our analysis recognises the role positive feedback from FFT can play in empowering and educating the workforce, particularly in paediatrics where parents/carers are uniquely involved in patient care. References Plunkett A. Embracing excellence in healthcare: the role of positive feedback. Archives of Disease in Childhood-Education and Practice, 2022;107(5):351–354. England, NHS Friends and Family Test. 24/10/23]; Available from: https://www.england.nhs.uk/fft/.