Patient experience

Our work on patients' experience of using health and care services

The public and the NHS: what's the deal?

In March 2018 The King’s Fund and Ipsos MORI carried out a series of discussion events with the public to explore people's views on the relationship between the public and the NHS. This report sets out the findings.

Listening to patients, carers, staff and communities... do we care enough?

Durka Dougall challenges NHS leaders to work more closely with patients, carers and staff in order to understand what's important to them and make the tough decisions together.

User feedback in maternity services

Our report looks at how maternity services are collecting, analysing and acting on feedback to improve women's experience of maternity services.

Patients' experience of using hospital services: An analysis of trends in inpatient surveys in NHS acute trusts in England 2005-13

Our report looks at the data from inpatient surveys over a nine-year period and discusses what the data tells us about the national picture of care in the NHS and what it reveals about trends for individual trusts over time.

Artificial intelligence: what are the opportunities for health and care?

The NHS at 70: blow out the candles and make a wish

The NHS at 70: blow out the candles and make a wish

A podcast about big ideas in health and care. Episode four: as the NHS turns 70, what state is it in? What will it look like in another 70 years? Helen McKenna talks about how the NHS is changing with Don Berwick, Ceinwen Giles and Siva Anandaciva.

The NHS at 70: Are we expecting too much from the NHS?

In this paper we explore the public’s expectations of the NHS, the balance between meeting those expectations and living within a constrained budget, and the question of who is responsible for keeping us healthy.

The King's Fund responds to the CQC 2017 NHS adult inpatient survey

'These latest findings, from one of the largest national patient surveys, show patient experience in hospitals is holding up remarkably well and has even seen some improvements since last year particularly around communication between staff and patients.'

Caring for people with learning disabilities: the importance of support in the right place

ESCAPE-pain programme for hip and knee pain

Many patients are diagnosed with osteoarthritis in early old age, when they are particularly vulnerable to rapid deterioration in health and loss of independence. The ESCAPE-pain programme includes a combination of education, self-management and coping advice with physical exercises.

Dan Wellings: The relationship between the NHS and the public

Dan Wellings, Senior Fellow at The King’s Fund, shares initial findings from research into the relationship between the NHS and the public.

Public engagement – pitfalls, barriers and benefits

As part of our project on the NHS and the public, Dan Wellings asks why the NHS can be reluctant to involve the public in decision-making and makes the case for why it should.

What does the public think about the NHS?

As part of our project on the changing relationship between the NHS and the public, the Fund commissioned some initial polling from Ipsos MORI. The results are in.

Growing up with the NHS: born on 5 July 1948

As part of our work on the changing relationship between the NHS and the public, Aneira Thomas, who was the first baby born on the NHS, shares her views on its past and its future.

Great expectations: the changing nature of the public’s relationship with the NHS

What are the biggest issues and priorities for the NHS, and what do people expect from our health care system in the 21st century? As we start a new research project, Beth Adams reflects on the insights we’ve had so far.

Improving patient experience through design: The King's Fund in the 1960s

Nicholas Willsher looks at the Fund’s work in the late 1950s and early 1960s on improving patient experience and how the Fund developed its approach to design.

The public and the NHS

The relationship between the NHS and the public is complex. Although surveys show us that people are proud of the NHS and most are satisfied with the services they receive, it’s sometimes said that public expectations of the NHS are rising. Against this background we have been undertaking work to explore the relationship between the public and our national health service.

Political consensus needed to ensure the future of health and social care

In July, Chris Ham joined Sarah Wollaston MP to give the Speaker’s lecture on the future of the NHS in the House of Commons. Here, he summarises his contribution, detailing what needs to be done to secure a sustainable health and social care system.

Debs Taylor: The impact of social prescribing on people and communities

Debs Taylor, Expert by Experience and Peer Project Support Officer, Creative Minds, describes the impact of attending Creative Minds' art classes in her recovery from mental illness.

We should see acute hospitals as places for healing

Jocelyn Cornwell explores how vulnerable patients can feel in hospital and argues that the quality of relational care should be given the same priority as clinical quality and patient safety.

Kate Allatt: The reality of collaboration

Kate Allatt gives her perspective on building effective partnerships between health care professionals and patients.

Organising care at the NHS front line: who is responsible?

What are the challenges facing frontline clinicians today and what could they do to improve the quality of care? Our report presents a range of views from clinicians, managers, quality improvement champions and patients.

Michael Wise: Views from the front line - how can we improve hospital care?

Michael Wise, patient, author and former specialist in oral surgery and restorative dentistry, gives his perspective as a patient on our report, Organising care at the NHS front line.

Accepting the unacceptable? A physician’s perspective on frontline care

Ahead of the publication of our report, Organising care at the NHS front line, Elin Roddy shares her experience of providing care for acutely ill medical patients.

Improving patients' experience reading list

A selected list of references held by The King's Fund library.

Patient involvement: Our work on the role of patients and the public in health and care and service design

Patient leadership: Our work on collaborative leadership among clinicians, managers, patients and service users