Annual Review of stories told on Care Opinion about NHS Scotland services in 2025/26

We are delighted to share our Annual Review of stories told about NHS Scotland services in 2025-26.pdf. You can also access this report by clicking on the image below.

We want everyone to be able to read our Annual Review, so an accessible version is also available, featuring plain text alongside descriptions of all images and charts used in this report: Accessible version - Annual Review of stories told about NHS Scotland services in 2025-26.docx

The theme of this year’s review is ‘Humanity in Action: Stories shaping care’, which looks at the 12,464 stories shared on Care Opinion by patients, service users, relatives, carers, and friends in Scotland in 2025/26. Whether these stories express praise, gratitude, raise concerns, or share reflections, each story is a small act of humanity that helps shape better care for everyone.

Highlights from this review include:

• 12,464 stories shared by the public, receiving 14,514 staff responses and over 1.5 million reads
• 80% of stories were completely positive, with 20% having some level of criticality
• Over 4,748 staff members are actively listening and responding on Care Opinion
• 79 changes were planned or made as a result of stories shared

Inside the Annual Review:

Our 2025/26 Annual Review celebrates the humanity at the heart of NHS Scotland and the powerful role that listening, learning and responding can play in improving care.

Across its pages, you will discover how stories are supported and moderated with care, what patients and families have told us over the past year, and how NHS teams are turning feedback into meaningful change. We explore ten years of Realistic Medicine, emerging research into digital feedback and complaints, NHS Tayside’s work to raise awareness of Care Opinion, and inspiring examples of improvements made across Scotland.

The review also brings together the national and Health Board-level data behind the stories, showing the reach, responsiveness and growing impact of Care Opinion across NHS Scotland.

We hope it inspires you, encourages reflection and reminds us all that every story is an opportunity to listen, connect and make care better. Happy reading!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us at info@careopinion.org.uk.