Sites link up for mental health ratings

The patient feedback site Patient Opinion has linked up with NHS Choices to enable patients to comment online on mental health services.

The partnership between the Department of Health’s flagship website and Patient Opinion is due to be launched today by care services minister Phil Hope.

The DH said the partnership means service users, carers and their families will be able to share stories and leave feedback on care they receive via either NHS Choices or Patient Opinion.

Once a comment has been posted, staff at the trust will be notified and have the opportunity to respond to the feedback.

The DH said trusts would also be able to take any necessary action and that the partnership would help to drive up standards in mental health services.

Care services minister Phil Hope said: “Personalising services and making them more responsive to patients’ needs is at the very heart of our New Horizons strategy.

"So this partnership means every single trust in the country can see what they are doing well and what needs to be improved helping to drive up quality.”

Paul Hodgkin, chief executive of Patient Opinion, said the partnership meant more people would be able to help trusts provide the services users want and that making all the comments public would ensure greater accountability and give users an even stronger voice.

He added: “We are delighted NHS Choices asked up to team up with them. The simple fact is that the more mental health services listen and act on these stories, the better care will be.”

New Horizons is the government’s strategy to promote good mental health and well-being. The DH said NHS Choices is now the most popular health website in the UK, recording nearly 10m visits a month.