More than 800 people who have recently used Somerset’s mental health services are to be invited to share their views on the quality of local care. The survey is part of the annual NHS Patient Survey and is conducted by the Healthcare Commission, the national body responsible for monitoring health service performance.

A random sample of 850 adults will be selected from recent service users.

The confidential questionnaire will ask for their experiences of:

Care and treatment;

Relationships with health professionals;

Quality of information received;

Care plans;

Care in a crisis;

Medicines; and

Support in the community.

By answering the questions and returning the questionnaire in the freepost envelope supplied, each will be playing a very direct role in improving the future quality of local health services. The results will be used to help highlight areas where the service performs well and to identify the areas where there is most room for improvement.

The results also contribute to the annual performance star rating awarded to the local trust.

John Haines, chief executive with Somerset Partnership NHS and Social Care Trust, said: “I would encourage anyone who receives one of the confidential questionnaires to take time to complete it and share their views about the care they have received.

“Such feedback helps the NHS by bringing about improvements in both national and local standards of care.”

Every mental health trust in England is carrying out this survey as part of the commitment to design health service around the needs of the people who use them.

The results of the NHS Patient Survey will be available in summer 2005 from the Healthcare Commission’s website at http://www.healthcarecommission. org.uk/NationalFindings/Surveys/fs/en