Members of the public are being invited to give their views on their experience of Sherwood Forest Hospitals Trust and to help improve services.

‘Coffee and Connect’ is a new, monthly online forum for patients, service users, carers and staff. The idea is to create a welcoming space for people to come and give their views and share ideas on how to make visiting the trust’s King’s Mill, Mansfield Community, and Newark hospitals a good experience for all.

The sessions will be an opportunity for attendees to give structured feedback and share individual perspectives on a series of agreed themes, and questions are encouraged. The first meeting will focus on patient experience within the trust, with an explanation on how the Patient Experience Team works and what they are doing to improve how the Trust communicates with patients and service users.

Topics for the meetings after this will be collectively decided by those in attendance at the first meeting, so individuals who are keen to be more involved in making improvements to their local hospitals are encouraged to attend.

Emma Mutimer-Hallgarth, family liaison officer within the Patient Experience Team at the trust, who is responsible for putting the session together, said: “Everyone has experience using our services in one way or another, whether it be as a patient or as a visitor or even an employee. We want to make sure that those visiting our sites have a positive experience and your feedback is essential in helping us to achieve this vision. I encourage you to come along to the first session and give your views – it is a welcoming space, and we will take the time to listen to what you have to say.”

Meetings will be held on the first Tuesday of every month at 4pm via Microsoft teams, with the first session scheduled for Tuesday, 1st July. Those interested can reserve their place by emailing [email protected] or calling 01623 672222.

While providing place to discuss constructive feedback, the sessions are not to be used to make a complaint heard, and those who wish to make a complaint are encouraged to contact the Patient Experience Team via email on [email protected]  For those wishing to speak to someone in person, complaints regarding King’s Mill Hospital can be made by calling 01623 672222, and 01636 685692 for Newark. Alternatively, a written complaint can be made to: Patient Experience Team, Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, King’s Mill Hospital, Mansfield Road, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Notts, NG17 4JL.

The Patient Experience Team provides a confidential advice and information service to signpost people to services, take feedback, resolve issues, and handle complaints and you can contact them regarding any of the above.