Thank you to all intake and treatment service users who provided CPFT with valuable feedback on where you consider the Trust is doing well, and where you feel there are areas for improvement. This followed the recent questionnaire issued to all service users within intake and treatment, to gain detailed views on a number of issues.

Total response rates as at 30 March 2011 were 35% (451 respondees), based on overall service user number of 1275. This percentage response rate is slightly above typical national averages return rates for patient surveys. Below is a summary of the results:

• 88 % (396) of service users knew who their care-co-ordinator (lead professional) was.
• 84 % (381) rated the care they received from CPFT as ‘excellent’, ‘very good’ and ‘good’
• 79 % ( 357) of service users felt the purposes of any prescribed medicines were explained to them.
• 73% (341) of service users considered they would recommend CPFT to a friend or a colleague.
• 72 % (326) of service users were involved in deciding what was in their care plan.
• 71 % (318) of service users had been given or offered a copy of their care plan.
• 56 % (252) of service users had the number of someone from CPFT that they could phone out of office hours.
• 55 % (250) of service users had a care review meeting in the last 12 months to discuss their care plan.

What did you say?
CPFT  has received very useful feedback on the services received within the intake and treatment teams. Some examples of issues raised by service users for improvement include:

• “I could be more involved in decisions about my care - during outpatient appointments”
• “I wish I could have accessed the service earlier, as it took 2-3 years to be referred by my GP”
• “Let all clients know that if they don't feel comfortable with their therapists they have the right to change”
• “I think it would have been useful if the role of the care co-ordinator was explained in terms of what sort of things they can help you with”

Areas where service users feel CPFT is doing well include:

• “The best thing about the service is that I was getting the help and support at home when I was unable to attend my appointments at the hospital”
• “The help guided me through simple and hard everyday life. Being able to confide in someone I can trust”
• “A real effort is made to sort things out and I have had a great deal of support at all times”
• “Excellent care and support - the best is that my care co-ordinator believed in my ability to get better and improve and was very reassuring that I should believe in myself more and I will get better. Also things got explained to me in a very good way”

What changes have we made?
A number of initiatives are in the process of being developed and implemented to take forward service user feedback, such as the recent introduction of a trust wide out of hours telephone number 0800 052 22 52. This service is available Monday-Friday 5pm-10pm; and Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays 8am-10pm. This number is also included in correspondence with our service users.

Other changes we are making include a review of how the care planning process takes place, to ensure that a greater number of service users receive regular care review meetings over a 12-month period. Improving communications with our service users is also an area we continue to work on, to ensure service users fully understand the care plan approach and are involved in their care planning with their care co-ordinators. Our peer support workers are supporting these communications in some areas, by working with service users to clarify issues and explain the care planning approach.

Other teams are improving the medication information they provide to service users by ensuring medication leaflets are on display in outpatient waiting areas.

Following on from the comprehensive and wide ranging service user feedback received from this questionnaire, we will be introducing a regular questionnaire within intake and treatment teams to look at ensuring we receive your valuable feedback on a regular basis. This will help us to make sure we are getting it right and introduce improvements to continue to provide you with the very best level of care and support.