Tuesday 7 October 2014

Henry Bilinski: Positive Patient Transport

Hello all, Henry Bilinski here.

Recently, I and the Healthcare and Transport Services (HATS) Group published some interesting new data concerning patient transport and the importance of friendly service.

The new research, commissioned by myself, gave an interesting insight into modern healthcare transportation and patient care. The following feature, 'Positive Patient Transport - New Research from Industry Expert Henry Bilinski Highlights the Importance of Friendly Service', was published via Reuters on the 22nd of August and provides more information about our recent study.

Read in full below.

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Reuters Henry Bilinski HATS
Survey commissioned by HATS CEO reveals the right staff can help take the pain out of hospital visits

We all feel nervous about visiting hospital but according to new research from patient transport expert Henry Bilinksi (http://www.henrybilinski.com/), friendly staff can make all the difference when it comes to making the process bearable.

In the wake of a damning new report into ambulance queue times, the Healthcare and Transport Services (HATS) (http://www.hatsgroup.com/) CEO says the need to listen and respond to customer feedback is stronger than ever.

His firm have just invested in a major new survey to gather the views of patients.

And as Henry explains, what the research shows very clearly is that being looked after for by the right people is the thing we value most - with a third of all respondents saying it made visiting hospital easier.

He says: “Friendly service was the aspect people valued most of all - with 34 per cent saying it enhanced their experience.

“Another one in five of us (18 per cent) say having access to specialist transport can make hospital visits less distressing.

“We work hard to make patients’ lives easier so it is good to hear the positive impact our service makes.

”We take customer feedback seriously and what this research shows very clearly is that offering professional, specialist support can make a huge difference to people’s experience and ultimately, treatment.”

The survey went on to find that a further 16 per cent were impressed by the punctuality of the transport, while 14 per cent were reassured by the standard of care they received, and 12 per cent valued the continuity that came with seeing the same member of staff.

HATS’ research also found that one in ten (nine per cent) patients said peace of mind and not having to worry about making travel arrangements themselves meant the most to them, while seven per cent liked the fact that they could use a local specialist.

As such 94 per cent of all those questioned in the nationwide survey said they would probably recommend the company they use to others.

And for many people the service is considered an essential one - with almost a third (31 per cent) admitting they wouldn’t be able to access emergency care at all without it.

Another third - 30 per cent - admitted they could be forced to miss vital appointments if they didn’t have the support of the patient transport network.

A further 15 per cent worried that their medical needs would be ‘severely compromised’ if they didn’t have access to the service.

One in three of all those quizzed said that without the help of specialist transport providers they would be forced to rely on family and friends for help.