NHS Scotland Conference 2022

In June this year, myself and my colleague, Fraser Gilmore, attended the NHS Scotland Conference 2022 at the P&J Live, Aberdeen.

After over 2 years of online-only events, we were excited to meet with people face-to face- and learn together, in person.

We saw lots of familiar faces (thank you to all who took a selfie!) and met lots of incredible new people too.

As a Community Interest Company working alongside many NHS services and staff, Care Opinion sits in between the patient and the services themselves.

By helping to bridge this gap via patient feedback, Care Opinion can help services listen to the needs of their patients and make positive changes as a result. We connected with many people at the conference, informing them about who we are and what we do. It was a real pleasure to speak face-to face, show materials and even have a hug or two!

There was a happy, honest and caring atmosphere at the conference, and it was clear that people attending were enjoying interacting with each other and seeing colleagues - for the first time in many cases!

Over the 2 days, we learned so much about the amazing work within NHS Scotland.

We met lots of people who could see the benefit of online patient feedback, who wanted to know more about Care Opinion, so we thought we would share the most commonly asked questions we received at the conference…

Are you in the NHS?

No, Care Opinion is independent from the NHS. We are a community Interest Company, providing an online feedback platform and access to lots of features within subscriptions for organisations and staff. Also, in Scotland we work with all 14  Health Boards, and are continuing to develop this work over time.

Do people use care opinion to complain about services and staff?

At Care Opinion, we allow people to tell their whole story, and this can include positive and critical feedback. However we are not a complaints process as formal complaints are dealt with by the relevant Health Boards. 

Are people scared to give feedback?

Telling a personal story can be daunting for patients and service-users. When asking for feedback, it can be helpful to let the person know that they will remain anonymous at all times and tell them that Care Opinion is independent from the NHS. It can be helpful to show them stories and responses already on the website too.

What if my patients can’t use a computer?

If unable to access or use the website, patients can tell their story via our Freepost Leaflets, telephone number (0800 122 3135), or with help from a volunteer or member of staff.

How do I get involved?

To find out how to get involved in receiving feedback about your services, contact us at info@careopinion.org.uk and we will put you in touch with the lead from your area.

If you were at the event, we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did! We look forward to attending more in-person events and training sessions in the future...and we hope to see you there too!