What Do Patients Think?

Below is a selection of projects Ipsos MORI has recently conducted with patients.

Perceptions of the London Ambulance Service (2006).

Ipsos MORI conducted the first ever perceptions audit of the London Ambulance Service. The work explored people's current perceptions of the London Ambulance Service and their attitudes towards the LAS' changing role. The research involved a telephone survey with a representative sample of 1,000 Londoners, followed up by eight discussion groups with Londoners and five in-depth interviews with homeless people. The results have provided the LAS with a clear benchmark for future perceptions audits and information to feed into their future communications strategy.

Choice of Provider Pilot Study and Waves 1-3 (2006)

One of the government's cornerstones of its NHS reform is providing more choice to patients to make the NHS more flexible and responsive. Since the beginning of 2006, patients are entitled to be offered a choice of four or more hospitals when referred by their GP. The Department of Health commissioned Ipsos MORI to undertake a major regular postal survey assessing the implementation of this policy in primary care. Three waves have now been successfully conducted. The results of the surveys indicate that most eligible patients are not receiving any choice of hospital provider, despite government exhortations.

Three in ten (30%) of those who were referred to hospital for a first outpatient appointment between 22 May and 4 June 2006 recall having been offered a choice of hospital by their GP. However, the trend is rising, with 35% patients saying they remember being offered choice in the second survey conducted 2 months later, among those referred between 17 and 31 July 2006.

Questionnaires are distributed to all patients who have been referred by a GP for a first outpatient appointment in any of 160 major acute NHS trusts during a two-week referral period.

Newham Patient Experience (2005)

In 2004/5 MORI was commissioned by Newham NHS Trust and NE London SHA to investigate why the Trust's patient surveys showed lower levels of satisfaction with its in-patient care among younger groups and among its Black and Asian patients, than among older, white patients.

In addition to desk research re-examining the patient survey data, MORI conducted 8 focus groups with a mix of patients and healthcare professionals living and working in Newham. We conducted two focus groups each with Black and Asian patients, stratified by age, and a fifth with white patients. The three groups with healthcare professionals were with doctors, allied health professionals and nurses, and all included a mixture of backgrounds. By looking at both patients' and providers views, we were able to have a much deeper insight into what was driving perceptions.

The NHS Improvement Plan ⁽¹⁾ and subsequently Creating A Patient-Led NHS ⁽²⁾ put patients 'at the heart of NHS Services'.

Ipsos MORI's wealth of experience means we can help to understand your particular patients' experiences and priorities. But putting the patient at the centre of healthcare is not just about an occasional tick box survey. Ipsos MORI has expertise in a range of consultation and research techniques which provide a real opportunity for informing local service delivery. Working with a range of SHAs and PCTs we use a mixture of face-to-face surveys, community workshops, depth interviews and detailed analysis.

Access to Primary Care Tracking Study (2004/05)

MORI has been running the Access to Primary Care tracker for the Department of Health since Spring 2004 using the face-to-face omnibus survey. A representative sample of around 1,300 people are interviewed across England on each wave, which takes place bi-monthly. This data set has provided information on a whole range of issues around access to primary care, including usage, waiting times, reasons for the wait and attitudes and satisfaction with the service. It has also provided a feel for attitudes towards current policy in this area.

Birmingham and the Black Country Strategic Health Authority (2005)

This bespoke research programme provided the Birmingham and the Black Country Strategic Health Authority with data for the contract negotiations for an independent sector-run treatment centre in the area. The work built on earlier work conducted by MORI in 2003 regarding public perceptions of choice. In 2005, MORI investigated the reputation of local hospitals and why people choose them. It also assessed likely patient flow in the Choose and Book environment and what factors may influence choice. It includes the GPs' perspective, and shows the substantive impact on they will have on the direction of patient choice. The survey also revealed the differing information needs of the public and the practitioner regarding choice.

Public attitudes towards the NHS (2000-2004)

Since 2000, MORI has conducted a detailed series of tracking surveys amongst patients and the general public on behalf of the Department of Health, on attitudes towards the NHS. Results of the 2000 survey were used in the consultation process which fed into the writing of 'The NHS Plan', and the subsequent surveys have tracked changes in opinions and explored perceptions of the NHS, satisfaction with different aspects of NHS service provision, as well as some specific questions aimed at informing policy initiatives. Results are available here.

National Patients Surveys (2001-05)

Since 2001, MORI has been a CHI- approved contractor for the national patient surveys programme. MORI has conducted a range of surveys for Primary Care Trusts and Acute Trusts covering inpatients, outpatients, emergency department patients and mental health services users. Clients include The Medway NHS Trust, Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust, Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust, Weston Area Health NHS Trust, Northumberland Care Trust, Dudley Beacon and Castle Primary Care Trust, Suffolk Coastal Primary Care Trust, Central Suffolk Primary Care Trust, Waveney Primary Care Trust, Isle of Wight Primary Care Trust, Portsmouth City Primary Care Trust, Fareham and Gosport Primary Care Trust, East Hampshire Primary Care Trust and Ipswich Primary Care Trust. As well as working closely with individual PCTs and Trusts on analysing the results from each of the surveys, MORI has led the way in analysing the national patient survey data through our recent "Frontiers of Performance in the NHS" report.

Access to Dentists, GPs and Pharmacists in RBKC (2004)

MORI recently completed a study for RBKC trying to understand issues associated with access to primary health care services in the borough. It involved depth interviews with dentists, GPs and pharmacists, focus groups with local community representatives and in-home quantitative surveys of residents in key target wards in the borough. The research is helping the PCT and the council to provide the support local dentists, GPs and pharmacists need to ensure services meet local needs.

BUPA Survey on Patient Choice (2003)

A survey among the general public and general practitioners (GPs'). The objectives of the research were to identify the general public's and GPs' perceptions of the current situation regarding patient choice in healthcare, what choices they feel should be available and what they feel the consequences of patient choice might be. As well as informing BUPA's thinking on the issue of patient choice, the research findings were used in the BUPA Health Debate held in September 2003.

Public Opinions of Doctors (1983-2003)

This programme of research for the BMA (and previously for The Times and Cancer Research UK) has been conducted over many years among a nationally representative sample of around 2,000 British adults aged 15+. It measures trust in doctors compared with other professional groups and types of people, and has found continued high levels of trust in doctors, despite the Shipman affair, the Bristol Surgeon enquiry, the Alder Hey Paediatric organs cases, and other events.

Annual Patients' Prospectus (2002)

MORI was commissioned by the Department of Health Strategy Unit to conduct focus group research into public priorities for the Annual Patients' Prospectus. This followed on from the telephone survey described above, and aimed to test some mock-up versions of a template on members of the public. The project required pre-placement of materials and delivery of actionable results by early July 2002. The findings fed into the development of a prospectus template to be given to all NHS Trusts.

1. June 2004 www.dh.gov.uk/publications
2. March 2005 Creating A Patient-Led NHS: Delivering the NHS Improvement Plan. Department of Health www.dh.gov.uk/publications