A smooth and speedy implementation

In December 2020, the first Covid-19 vaccine was approved for use in the UK and the rollout began from 8th December, initially in up to 50 hospital hubs across England. Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTHT) were given the task of running the vaccination programme for all of Leeds.

LTHT decided to swiftly set up 2 sites, the conference centre at Elland Road stadium and The Thackray Museum of Medicine adjacent to St James’s University Hospital, where the majority of staff vaccinations were done before opening up to citizens as well.

Following discussions on how to most efficiently gain feedback from all citizens, not just Trust patients, they decided on a digital mechanism for FFT that they already had in place with Healthcare Communications (HC) to best capture as much data as possible.

They worked closely with the HC support team to build a unique area within their existing FFT platform which was quickly set up in just two days. A QR code to a weblink was created which allowed the survey to be shared through a variety of modes across the visitor journey, dramatically increasing response rates.

The HC Self-Serve Surveys product was also added at the start of 2021 which allowed them to add additional questions to FFT to gain more in depth information, including invaluable insights into visitor opinions such as amount of people driven to get vaccinations in order to travel abroad.

A multi-faceted approach to reach every citizen

With the vaccination rollout happening at super speed, staff are having to be flexible with changing rules and procedures. A digital approach allows staff to carry out patient feedback collection easily and smoothly across the 2 sites.

  • 15 minutes wait time after vaccinations created a prime opportunity for patients to fill out a quick survey of their experience. A wait card advising when they could leave includes the QR code and a request for feedback
  • Business cards with easy survey access points are handed to people as they enter the centre or with their vaccination cards
  • St Johns ambulance and LTHT volunteers in the centres take surveys round on iPads to ensure those who do not have access to a smartphone can still complete the survey
  • Hundreds of posters are displayed around the centre with the QR codes so the request for feedback can not be missed by any visitors
  • Unique character imagery is used at Leeds to create a more engaging experience within their Patient Experience collection. This branding has been applied across the posters, business cards, and other collateral to create consistency and familiarity in their FFT approach
  • An impressive 2000 throughput on a daily basis in early May 2021 and rising, with Thackary Road Museum site completing all its second doses and opening for visitors in May 2021

“Our priority is to make the whole service, and the opportunity to give feedback, as accessible as possible! It’s such a brilliant thing to be part of.”
Dawn Regan, Nurse Manager

Deep dive into the details

  • Weekly Citywide meetings with CCGs and other partners including Leeds Community Health to share feedback and reports
  • For this, a weekly download of comments with additional questions is easily produced on the HC platform to share with those involved
  • The platform also provides a range of visual reporting tools including theming chart and bar chart, plus a service report which gives snapshot of feedback with demographics to drive future transformation

Focused on inclusivity to give everyone a voice

  • “Do you require any assistance?” is asked to everyone who comes in the door to ensure all accessibility needs are met
  • Volunteer Training Package on how to support non-English speaking visitors, using a digital interpreter on wheels (IOW) or BSL interpreter in person
  • Volunteers walk citizens through the whole process with digital interpreter on an iPad and then help them to complete a survey at the end
  • Read aloud and digital text translation into 99 languages on all surveys
  • In response to feedback collected, staff and volunteers began wearing see-through masks so that patients with hearing difficulties can read lips

“Inclusive multi-channel communications through Healthcare Communications allow us to capture every person’s voice when they walk through our vaccination centre doors, while the reporting dashboard enables us to analyse on demand and share valuable insights with colleagues and partners”
Amanda Hynes, Senior PCPI Officer – FFT, Patient Experience

Celebrating successes with feedback publishing

Outstanding quality and quantity of feedback from patients with over 99% positive rating

  • Introducing large TV screens in vaccinations centres which hosts a weekly presentation showcasing patient feedback, staff of the week and ‘You Said We Did’ examples to encourage others to participate themselves
  • Fabulousness Awards – When staff are mentioned in feedback for their exceptional care they can receive a certificate for their performance which acts as a fantastic morale booster within the teams. This also influenced the additional questions being added to all FFT surveys
  • Future project to share the 17,000 (and growing!) pieces of feedback further to drive change and celebrate wins