Online user feedback platform Care Opinion Northern Ireland celebrates one year
Care Opinion the online user feedback service in Northern Ireland, will host a virtual event on Wednesday 10 November to celebrate one year since its inception in August 2020.
The online feedback platform has received 2,641 pieces of feedback from service users, families and carers some of which are helping to make improvements in Health and Social Care (HSC) in Northern Ireland.
The event will showcase examples from each of the six HSC Trusts as to how Care Opinion feedback is impacting and improving services across the region.
Health Minister Robin Swann, who will open the virtual event said:
“The Department of Health is committed to connecting those providing health and social care with those who have the lived experience of that care. This truly puts people at the heart of making decisions and choices about services which in turn will drive and improve patient experiences and outcomes.
“This is not a new concept, it has evolved over time and the introduction of an online user feedback service is another stage in that evolution. This is about more than just another data source. It is a culture shift, delivering a service which is built upon relationships with people. It ensures a two-way feedback loop between the public and the staff within the services.
“Care Opinion in Northern Ireland is the only online user feedback service within the UK and Republic of Ireland offering people a true two-way feedback platform across the health and social care system and I would encourage people to use it and help shape and improve our services.”
Aidan Dawson, Chief Executive at the Public Health Agency said:
“Care Opinion sits alongside established processes of Personal and Public Involvement and Patient Experience and learning through Quality and Safety initiatives. The stories connect us with the voice of the people who use our services and fosters a culture of openness and transparency. This builds accountability and trust into our complex system, delivering stronger and meaningful relationships and subsequently change.”
Michelle Tennyson, Assistant Director for Allied Health Professions, Personal and Public Involvement and Patient Experience at the Public Health Agency and Chair of the Regional Implementation Group for Care Opinion said:
“There is a growing body of research which demonstrates that the facilitation of feedback is indeed an act of care in itself and can mark closure on episodes of care where people want to say thank you for the care they have received or highlight what could have made their experience better.
“Care Opinion is an important piece of the puzzle to ensure people’s voices are heard at all levels of our system. It is about supporting people to tell us what truly matters to them, in their own words, and in their own time.”
People can share their experience of health and social care services in Northern Ireland by visiting www.careopinion.org.uk
Notes to Editors
- Care Opinion Northern Ireland was launched in August 2020.
- Care Opinion online feedback platform also operates in England, Scotland and Wales and the Republic of Ireland.
- The overarching vision for Care Opinion Northern Ireland is ‘to enable meaningful engagement with patients and the public to drive sustainable, measurable service improvement.’
- The vision for Care Opinion Northern Ireland represents a culture change and journey which the whole health and social care system embarked upon in 2020. It aims to embed a mechanism whereby people can share their experience in a safe, open manner about any service in health and social care.