Feedback and Complaints

The NHS Friends and Family Test (FFT) was created to help service providers and commissioners understand whether patients are happy with the service provided, or where improvements are needed. It's a quick and anonymous way to give your views after receiving NHS care or treatment.

Since the FFT was launched in 2013, millions of patients have submitted feedback. It's used by most NHS services, including community care, hospitals, mental health services, maternity services, GP and dental practices, emergency care, and patient transport.

Annual Results (2025)

• Total responses: 420
• Recommended: 92%
• Neither / Don’t know: 3%
• Not recommended: 5%

What has gone well

Overall feedback remains very positive, with the majority of patients recommending the practice. Key themes include:

• High quality clinical care: patients consistently describe GPs and nurses as knowledgeable, thorough and caring
• Same-day and prompt access: many patients report being able to get appointments on the same day when needed
• Responsive online and telephone systems: Patient Triage and NHS App messaging are valued for quick responses and convenience
• Professional and friendly staff: reception and clinical teams are frequently described as helpful, polite and supportive
• Clear communication and follow-up: patients appreciate being listened to and receiving clear explanations and ongoing care

What hasn’t gone so well

A small number of patients highlighted areas where their experience could be improved:

• Access to routine appointments: some patients reported long waits (up to several weeks) for non-urgent appointments
• Telephone access at peak times: difficulty getting through at 8am or long queues
• Consistency of care: some feedback about seeing different clinicians and lack of continuity
• Communication issues: occasional examples of delays in follow-up, unclear processes, or clinicians not fully reviewing notes
• Reception experience: some patients felt interactions could be more empathetic or consistent

You said, we did (areas for improvement)

We have listened to your feedback and discussed this with our Patient Participation Group who review the data three monthly. During the year, based on your feedback, we have made the following improvements:

• Improving access
  • We have reviewed our appointment system to better balance same-day urgent demand with routine appointments.
  • Patient triage is now available 8:00am – 6:30pm to increase access throughout the day.
  • Patients who are number 5 or higher in the telephone queue can now choose a call-back option, reducing time spent waiting on the phone.
• Enhancing patient experience at first contact
  • Reception staff have received additional training in care navigation and communication to improve patient interactions.
• Increasing continuity of care
  • We have improved internal processes to help patients see or speak to the same clinician where appropriate for ongoing care.