Star service report: A report looking at the services that people in Trafford were impressed by

Healthwatch Trafford carried out a survey in asking the people of Trafford to choose a star social care or NHS service, and to explain why they chose who they did.

This report contains the findings based solely on the results of the Healthwatch 100 survey undertaken in the summer of 2019. 114 people responded to the survey.

Findings

• Feelings towards the NHS in general are very positive, and the services that people identified as being their star services were largely Hospitals and GP practices.
• Trafford General Hospital was the most identified service, with people showing real gratitude for the experiences they or their family have had in the past. This might not be a surprising result, considering that it was the first NHS hospital (known then as Park Hospital) and has been a feature of the Trafford community for over 70 years. Comments such as “My mum had breast cancer. The staff here were excellent and looked after her every step of the way” and “They were caring during an emergency. Very efficient” are typical, with multiple respondents crediting the hospital with saving their (or a loved one’s) life.
• What might be considered surprising is that six of the top eight services identified as star services by respondents in Trafford were hospitals from outside of the borough. Salford Royal had 11 nominations and was the next highest rated after Trafford General. Responses were similarly positive, and these results are indicative of the number of Trafford residents who are required to attend appointments and specialist services in other parts of Greater Manchester.
• There was a clear winner from the GP practices, with St Johns Medical Centre getting more nominations than any other service. The helpfulness of staff was a big reason, being mentioned three times, and they were also commended for turning their virtual Patient Participation Group into a real one.
• Turret Orthodontist was the most recommended non-GP or hospital service, with respondents impressed with their friendliness and the information they give.
• Overall, friendly staff was a big feature in the responses, showing how important it is to people to be treated with humility and kindness by health professionals. Also, the way that respondents value the NHS is very obvious.

Recommendations

Staff in all services should be friendly and helpful to patients, who really appreciate it particularly when they are in situations where they are anxious, worried and even afraid. This approach should be encouraged by service providers using all means necessary, and the providers should be encouraged, especially, to recognise excellent service when it is given by their staff.

Providing relevant and useful information to patients helps them feel informed and supported. As a theme, we have seen that being well informed has a huge positive effect on their perceptions of the service they receive.