The origin of the Friends and Family Test

You may all be aware that the National Health Service (NHS) has rolled out a measure of patient satisfaction called the Friends and Family Test (FFT). It was initially introduced in 2013 across accident and emergency departments and maternity services. It was designed to determine whether patients would recommend the service to the people they most cared about, based on their perception of the quality of that service. NHS England stated that the results would help them improve services. From January 2015, it was introduced across GP practices and some dental practices. Since April 2015, all dental practices have been required to implement FFT. The long-term aim is that everyone who uses an NHS service can provide feedback in this manner.