The evidence requirement for the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts Safety Action 7 includes âMinutes of MVP meetings demonstrating how feedback is obtained.â
An established Maternity Voices Partnership (MVP) will gather feedback from local service users through a range of methods, which could include:
- Online feedback form. See 3.13 above.
- Walk the Patch. This is where MVP service user members speak to current service users on a maternity ward or in a community setting to gather their direct feedback.
- Focus groups. Service user members of the MVP may hold focus groups to seek feedback on a particular issue or a particular aspect of the maternity service.
- Community outreach. MVP service user members may visit a particular community group to understand the concerns of that group of service users.
- Social media. The MVPâs social media pages which can be a valuable source of feedback.
- Surveys. The MVP may choose to conduct a survey on a particular issue. This could be conducted through an online form, paper forms and/or interviews in order to maximise opportunities for a wide range of people to respond.
- Coffee mornings or other events for service users. These can be an opportunity for service users to come and meet MVP service user members, learn more about getting involved in the MVP and also to share their feedback about the service. Women may be invited to share what was good about their care, any suggestions for improvements, and to leave contact details if they would like to get more involved.
An established MVP will be seeking out diverse perspectives, prioritising those likely to experience poorer outcomes or who are not so frequently listened to. As well as seeking out specific voices, it may be helpful to gather demographic data on people who give feedback, so that you know who youâre hearing from and can identify any gaps.
The MVP will have a systematic process for summarising themes from feedback and sharing this as appropriate. Some ways that feedback may be shared include:
- A feedback report presented at each MVP meeting
- Feedback sent as soon as possible after collection to the relevant service provider so that they can start to take any actions.
- Annual feedback summary prepared in order to feed into the following yearâs workplan.
- Feedback summaries prepared on request – e.g. for the maternity trust governance processes or patient experience committee.
- Summaries sent to the LMS for circulation to the LMS Board
You can request lanyards from National Maternity Voices for MVP members to wear when gathering feedback face-to-face.