We use surveys to find out what people think of the NHS healthcare services that they use.

The results help assess NHS performance. We also use them for regulatory activities such as registration, monitoring ongoing compliance and reviews.

You can find out about our most recently published surveys below.

Adult inpatient survey 2017

Published: June 2018

This survey looked at the experiences of 72,778 people who were discharged from an NHS acute hospital in July 2017.

The quality of communication between medical professionals (doctors and nurses) and patients continues to improve.

The experience of patients who have mental health conditions continue to be poorer than for other patient groups.

More patients felt they had privacy when discussing their condition in hospital than in previous years.

Preparation for, and information around, leaving hospital remains one of the weakest areas of patient experience for adult inpatients.

Maternity services survey 2017

Published: January 2018

This survey collected the experiences of more than 18,000 women who had a live birth in early 2017. Compared with the last survey in 2015:

More women were offered the choice of giving birth in a midwife-led unit or birth centre.

More women saw the same midwife at every antenatal appointment.

More women were ‘always’ treated with dignity and respect during labour and birth.

More women were never left alone during the birth of their baby at a time when it worried them.

Children and young people's survey 2016

Published: November 2017

This survey looks at the experiences of children, young people and their parents and carers attending hospital for treatment as an inpatient or day case.

Overall, children, young people and their parents or carers reported good experiences of care.

The majority of children and young people were positive about the ways in which hospital staff communicated with them.

Children and young people were not consistently involved in making decisions about their care and treatment.

A small proportion (1%) of children and young people spent most of their hospital stay on an adult ward.

Community mental health survey 2017

Published: November 2017

This survey gathered information from over 12,139 people who received community mental health services in September-November 2016.

Around two thirds of respondents reported a positive experience of their overall care.

The survey results suggest scope for further improvements in a number of areas.

The results for respondents who said that they knew how to contact the person in charge of their care if they had concerns where positive.

Substantial concerns remain about the quality of care some people using community mental health services receive.

Emergency department survey 2016

Published: October 2017

This survey collected information on the experiences of more than 45,000 patients who had received care from an emergency department in September 2016.

Most people were positive about the quality of interactions with doctors and nurses.

People were positive about information and communication while in the emergency department.

Some patients felt they waited too long to receive pain relief.

Information provision when leaving the emergency department remains a problem for many patients.

Trends in the Adult Inpatient Survey 2005-2014

Published: November 2015

This analysis looks at the experiences of people receiving adult inpatient services over a ten year period.

Patients’ experiences of care have generally been good.

Most areas we ask patients about have seen little meaningful change or improvement.

Patients report substantial improvements in areas such as cleanliness and mixed sex accommodation.

There have been areas of deterioration, for example in waiting times.

Ambulance survey of Hear and Treat callers 2013/14

Published: 2014

This survey looked at the experiences of over 2,900 people who called an ambulance service in December 2013 and January 2014.

Most people were positive, but some did not understand or agree with the advice given at the end of the call.

Overall, callers were more likely to agree with the decision to not send an ambulance if they had received a full explanation of the reasons.

Outpatient survey 2011

This survey collected patients' experiences of their most recent visit to an outpatient department.

More people felt that they were treated with respect and dignity.

Staff need to improve the way they provide information to patients.