SOUTHEND Hospital has revealed it is spending more than £37,000 a year on getting patient feedback...including an automated phone survey.

Patients were called 35,000 times in order to gauge their hospital experience.

They received an automated call asking them to take part in the survey. If they are not available the system calls back.

For those who have to visit the hospital almost daily, the system has been described as a “nuisance”.

The hospital revealed the number of calls following a freedom of information request, but has refused to reveal the cost saying it was “commercially sensitive” and releasing the figure could “potentially harm the trust and its suppliers’ commercial interests”.

Following a request for the hospital to review its decision, it was revealed the trust is paying £37,073 per annum.

Denise Townsend, director of nursing at Southend Hospital, said: “Patient feedback is a vital way of improving the care and services we provide to our patients. As part of the feedback we receive, we invest in a service that helps us collect the NHS Friends and Family Test data from inpatients and outpatients at Southend Hospital. This is carried out in accordance with General Data Protection Regulation guidance.

“Telephone surveys are just one of the methods of communications we use to contact patients. The sum of £37,000 is the combined total spent on multiple methods of getting patient feedback, which includes telephone surveys.”

A spokeswoman for the Save Southend NHS campaign group, said “We support the need for patient surveys to highlight satisfaction or concern, however, there are numerous more cost-effective ways to gain this information using modern technology.

“In light of the ongoing NHS funding crisis, spending £37,000 of public money is unacceptable and would fund a full time junior sister’s position.”

A patient, who asked not to be named, had several calls after her husband fell ill and made a number of visits to the hospital.

She said: “I have nothing against the hospital wanting feedback and in our case we were very well looked after by the hospital but the constant calls are extremely annoying.

“To now find out they cost the NHS so much I can’t help thinking the money could be better spent.”