Attitudes to receiving feedback from patient experience surveys: focus groups with practice staff

BackgroundDespite widespread adoption of patient feedback surveys in the NHS, evidence of a demonstrable impact of surveys on service improvement is sparse. The objective of this study was to explore the views of primary care practice staff regarding the utility of patient experience surveys.MethodsWe conducted focus groups with staff from 14 practices following the receipt of feedback from a recent patient experience survey.ResultsAlthough participants engaged with feedback from patient experience surveys, they routinely questioned its validity and reliability. Participants identified surveys as having a number of useful functions: for patients, as a potentially therapeutic way of getting their voice heard; for practice staff, as a way of identifying areas of improvement; and for GPs, as a source of evidence for professional development and appraisal. Areas of potential change stimulated by survey feedback included …