4th September 2025
The Southern Health and Social Care Trust has marked five years of Care Opinion – a platform that enables patients, service users, carers and families to share their experiences of health and social care.
Since its introduction in August 2020, Care Opinion has gone from strength to strength in the Southern Trust, with almost 14,000 stories shared, over 17,000 staff responses and more than 1.65million public reads of Trust stories.
Mairead Casey, Patient Client Experience Facilitator, said:
“With 91% of feedback positive and 696 colleagues trained to use the platform, Care Opinion has become a powerful way of showing people that their voices are valued.
“Unlike traditional feedback methods, Care Opinion creates a two-way dialogue. Every story receives a response from Trust staff, meaning patients and families can see their experiences acknowledged in real time. This approach has strengthened trust with our service users, families and carers, celebrated great care and highlighted where improvements can be made.
“The Trust has also earned national recognition as they are now ranked second in the UK for staff responsiveness and third overall for Care Opinion activity.”
Sharon Love, Head of Nursing and Midwifery Patient Experience and Quality Improvement said:
“Behind every statistic is a person who has taken the time to share their experience with us. I am proud of how our staff have embraced this approach and how it has strengthened the partnership we have with our patients. It has also had a positive impact on staff morale as they get to see the difference they make every day. Receiving that direct feedback from patients makes everyone feel proud of the work they do.
“In line with our Vision and Strategy of maintaining a relentless focus on Safety, Quality and Experience, we are gathering real-time feedback from patients during their care journey. This enables us to address concerns promptly and promote positive experiences.”