Context
In an effort to ensure that patients in Shropshire get the right support and quickest medical help the local NHS has been encouraging everybody to 'Think Which Service' which aims to help people to get the right advice, support and treatment as quickly as possible.
Part of this campaign highlights the new Pharmacy First service which is expected to free up GP appointments for patients who need them most and will give people quicker and more convenient access to safe and high quality healthcare. It includes the supply of appropriate medicines for 7 common conditions including earache, sore throat, and urinary tract infections, aiming to address health issues before they get worse.
Our project
We would like to understand the experience of patients using pharmacies not only for Pharmacy First but all of the other services provided by pharmacies.
We would also like to hear from community pharmacy staff about their experience of providing Pharmacy First and other advanced services
What will we ask?
Patient Survey
The patient survey asks a few questions about current services, your experience of them and any suggestions you may have for improvements. It consists of three short sections:
- Your awareness of pharmacy services
- Your experience of using pharmacy services
- Some optional questions about you
It is anonymous, we will not ask for any contact information unless you would like to be considered for further involvement, for example joining a focus group to share your experience and views.
As well as your feedback, we also ask you to volunteer some personal information which is optional. This helps us to understand how different groups experience local health and social care services and supports our focus on improving equality, diversity and inclusion.
If you are sharing information on behalf of another person make sure that you have their permission to do so, or that they are not identifiable from the information you share.
Pharmacy Staff Survey
The staff survey is anonymous and feedback is not linked to individual pharmacies, it is designed to give a broad picture of service provision from the staff perspective.
How we use this information?
The information you share with us will be shared with Healthwatch England and can be shared with regulators such as the Care Quality Commission, those who pay for and organise services (commissioners), and the relevant service provider. This helps us spot trends both locally and nationally to identify areas for improvement.
We will publish a report based on what we hear and may use quotes in our published reports, but we will not use any information that will identify you.
If you would like further information about how we process and store information our Privacy Policy is available here.