Creating and Implementing a new Survey Support function for NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB

The Insights and Engagement and Clinical Effectiveness Teams have supported NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB and Integrated Care System (ICS) colleagues with designing, creating, hosting and managing surveys. These surveys were in different formats, aimed at different populations and informed different decisions.

At one time there were at least five survey-hosting accounts held by ICB Teams – and that’s only the ones known about! There were a lot of surveys being written and shared with the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire health and care system and population, but not a lot of coordination and joined-up thinking.

The Clinical Effectiveness team’s impact

The Clinical Effectiveness team identified duplication in support requests, and non-standardised support provided by their team and the ICB Insights teams, and flagged the need for a new, aligned, survey support function for the ICB and ICS.

The following steps were taken to deliver this joined-up function:

• Set up a shared, dedicated survey support email address and accompanying MS Teams Channel
• Set up weekly survey support allocation meetings
• Created a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the allocation and provision of survey support
• Created a shared, dynamic register of survey support
• Reviewed and aligned existing survey data management processes
• Reviewed existing survey platform subscriptions in line with organisational needs and Information Governance regulations
• Reviewed and refreshed survey development and management guidance
• Promoted the new survey support function amongst ICB colleagues at staff meetings, via other internal communication channels and in training sessions

The teams continue to review and revise their processes to ensure they provide support tailored to each request. They no longer duplicate the survey support provided, they access the different skills and experience held in each team and regularly join up survey projects with related pieces of work happening in the ICB and ICS. As a result of this aligned approach, the surveys produced and hosted by the ICB are of a better quality and therefore answer the questions we have for our system and population more meaningfully.

For information on how to use surveys to support your evaluation, please visit the NHS Evaluation Toolkit.