The Manx health service says the public is happy with the care they get from the island’s community health services.
The claim comes after analysis of patient feedback forms.
For the 12 months July 2015 to July 2016, 98 per cent of patients who completed a form indicated a high level of satisfaction.
The feedback forms were introduced by community health services in early 2014 as an additional way to measure patient satisfaction.
Malcolm Couch, chief executive of the Department of Health and Social Care, said: ‘Seeking and acting on feedback from the public is vital if we are to maintain high quality health and social care services for the people of the Isle of Man.
‘The feedback results for community health services, whilst just a snapshot, are encouraging – especially when you consider that all of us are more readily prone to complain than praise a service; whether in a restaurant, a shop or a health clinic. Our community healthcare professionals can be proud of this achievement.’
The leaflets ask patients a number of questions including: whether staff were helpful and caring; if they inspired confidence; did they really listen to patients and involve them in decisions about their care; and whether there were any delays in receiving the treatment they needed.
Patients also have the opportunity to add their own comments about the service they received and many chose to do so. The majority were positive and often praised individual staff; such comments are always passed on.
Comments included: ‘a welcoming and friendly environment’; ‘clear explanations and no use of jargon’ and ‘staff were thoughtful, friendly and helpful with a caring attitude’.
Feedback on service improvement saw a small number of comments relating to availability of appointments when clinic times initially offered weren’t convenient. The management team is now working towards providing greater flexibility.
Jenny Brown, patient safety and governance coordinator, said: ‘Patients can also offer feedback through the online “friends and family” test, by speaking to or writing to any of our staff, by “engaging” with one of the executive team during their regular patient satisfaction walks, or – we hope only as a rare last resort – by lodging a formal complaint.’
Community health services include: district nursing, school nursing, the prison healthcare service, Ramsey and District Cottage Hospital, health visitors, community dental services, speech and language therapy, the emergency doctor service, family planning, podiatry, therapies and the ambulance service.