PATIENTS in Worcestershire are being sent questionnaires in a bid to improve health services in the county.

Over the next two weeks, 850 randomly selected patients who are registered with a GP in South Worcestershire will have a questionnaire dropping through their letterboxes.

Mike Ridley, chief executive of the South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust, which is carrying out the survey, said: "We are keen to know what patients think about their local health services.

"Obtaining feedback from patients and taking account of their views and priorities is vital for bringing about improvements in the quality of care.

"We are keen that patients who are selected take the time to complete the questionnaire so that we understand better the experiences of service users and can use this information locally for quality improvements."

He said patients were not obliged to fill in the forms, but those who do will have their information treated confidentially, and it will not be passed to doctors, nurses, or other NHS professionals.

Patients will be asked detailed questions on medication, health promotion, referrals, making appointments, and tests, among other issues.

The Commission for Health Improvement will publish the results of the questionnaire later this year, along with a national report.

The results will help the trust make improvements to services and will also feed into its performance rating for this year.