Healthcare in Frimley: your experiences and views

• This project is being led by NHS Frimley, an NHS organisation responsible for planning and delivering health and care services in the Frimley area. You can find out more about NHS Frimley on their website.
• The project will be hosted on Thiscovery, a secure online platform that enables the health and care system to improve and innovate through collaboration. Thiscovery is developed and run by THIS Labs, an independent organisation formed as a strategic collaboration between THIS Institute and The Health Foundation. THIS Labs administers this project for NHS Frimley.

How do I take part?

• This project consists of one survey.
• To take part you will be asked to answer an initial question to check the project is right for you and complete a short consent form to confirm you are happy to take part.
• The survey will ask you to tell us about your experiences and views of using NHS health services in Frimley. You will be presented with some scenarios about common health problems such as back pain and coughs, and asked about how you would manage these. You will also be asked about where you go for health advice (like family, internet, pharmacy, GP), how confident you feel managing health problems at home, what you think about different NHS services and what matters most to you when you need healthcare.
• At the end, we will ask you for some optional information about you, including your age range, ethnicity and employment status (whether you work, study or are retired).
• You also have the option to provide your name and email address if you want updates about the survey results. Only Thiscovery will have access to your contact information.

Do I have to answer all the questions?

• You do not have to answer all of the questions. However, we hope you will answer as many questions as possible, as this will provide the best possible information about your views and experience.

How much time will it take?

• This survey is expected to take about 10 minutes to complete, however you can take as much time filling in the survey as you require.

Can I take a break part way through answering questions?

• Yes – you do not have to answer all the questions in one go but if you do need to take a break, please use the same device (your mobile, computer or tablet) and the same browser to pick up where you left off.
• Once you have completed each page, please press the 'next' or 'submit' button so we receive your responses to that point.

Can I ask for help to complete the questions?

• Yes. You can ask someone to help you navigate Thiscovery or answer the questions, if you would like. This could be a family member or friend, for example.
• If you ask for help, please do answer the questions from your own point of view, rather than the views of the person helping.

Is there a deadline for completing the questions?

• The deadline for completing questions is 2 November 2025. Please do answer all the questions you wish to by this date.

What if I want to stop taking part?

• If you change your mind about taking part in this project you can withdraw at any time without giving a reason. However, it may not be possible to remove data that have already been submitted. To withdraw from the project please email help@thiscovery.org.

What are the possible benefits of taking part?

• By taking part in this study, you will have an opportunity to share your experiences and views on using NHS health services in Frimley. These insights will help the project team to identify potential ways to improve NHS health services in Frimley, and shape plans for how Frimley services are delivered in the future.

Are there any disadvantages or risks of taking part?

• You may find answering questions about common health problems and health services difficult. You do not have to answer any questions you do not want to and can stop at any time. If you find taking part in this project distressing in any way, please get in touch directly with us via help@thiscovery.org.

What happens to my answers?

• Your answers will be analysed along with the answers from all other participants and will be used to help identify potential areas for improvement to NHS health services in Frimley.
• Findings from the project may also be published in online reports or journals, and publicised on social media. Nobody will be able to identify you in any findings that are published: any quotations used in reporting will be anonymised.
• Your answers will not impact the care you receive at any Frimley health service.

How can I learn about the findings of the project?

• You will be emailed a summary of findings when they are ready, if you have chosen to be contacted for this purpose. You can let us know at the end of the survey, should you choose to take part.

Your privacy matters to us

Your privacy is important to NHS Frimley and our team here at Thiscovery. We keep your information safe and secure.

This survey helps us understand how patients make healthcare choices. Your answers will help us improve NHS services in your area.

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Who is collecting your information?

NHS Frimley has asked us to do this survey. They want to improve NHS services for local people.

Thiscovery collects your survey answers for NHS Frimley. We follow strict rules to keep your information safe.

Your GP practice may have sent you information about this survey. They have not shared your contact details with us.

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What information will we collect?

Your answers about healthcare:

• Where you go for health advice (like family, internet, pharmacy, GP)
• How confident you feel managing health problems at home
• What you think about different NHS services
• What matters most to you when you need healthcare

Information about you:

• Your age group
• Your ethnic background (this is “special category” data that gets extra protection)
• Whether you work, study, or are retired
• If you have any long-term health conditions (this is “special category” data that gets extra protection)
• How confident you are using computers and smartphones
• Which GP practice area you live in

Your contact details (optional):

• Your name and email address
• Only if you want updates about the survey results

Important: We don't collect your name during the survey. But the mix of information you give us might make it possible to work out who you are.

Right to withdraw: You can stop taking part at any time and choose not to answer any questions.

MRS Code compliance: This survey is conducted in accordance with the Market Research Society Code of Conduct and UK data protection laws.

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Why can we use your information?

For your survey answers: NHS Frimley has a legal duty to plan and improve NHS services. This survey helps them do this job.

For special category data (health and ethnicity): We need this to understand how health conditions and ethnic background affect the choices people make. This helps us plan better services for all communities.

For your contact details: Only if you choose to give them to us. You can change your mind at any time.

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How will we keep your information safe?

We keep things separate:

• Your contact details are kept separate from your survey answers
• Your survey answers use a number instead of your name
• This means we cannot link your name to your answers

We use secure systems:

• All information is encrypted (scrambled) and stored safely
• Only the research team can see your information
• We follow NHS security rules
• We use certified deletion tools when we remove data

Data analysis and transfer:

• Thiscovery will first analyse your survey answers and create an insight report for NHS Frimley
• After completing the analysis, Thiscovery will securely transfer your pseudonymised survey data to NHS Frimley
• NHS Frimley wants to keep this data for their population health team to do further analysis
• Once NHS Frimley confirms they have received the data safely and all necessary checks have been made, Thiscovery will delete their copy
• Your contact details are transferred separately if you choose to provide them

Important: Sending information over the internet is never 100% safe. We do our best to protect it, but we cannot promise complete security.

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How will NHS Frimley use your answers?

First analysis by Thiscovery:

• Analyse your survey answers to understand healthcare decision-making patterns
• Create an insight report showing what the survey found
• Look at differences between different groups of people

Further analysis by NHS Frimley:  

NHS Frimley will then use your survey data for ongoing analysis by their population health team to:

• Make NHS services easier to access
• Help people understand which NHS service to use
• Create better health information for patients
• Plan services that work better for local people
• Compare findings with other health data they have
• Track changes in healthcare needs over time

Your answers will be mixed with everyone else's answers. No one will be able to tell which answers are yours.

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Who will we share your information with?

We will share your survey data with:

• NHS Frimley (who asked for this survey)
• Other NHS organisations for planning services
• Regulators who check NHS services
• The survey data we share will not include your name or email

We will not share with:

• Your GP or other healthcare providers
• Companies for marketing
• Anyone who might identify you

If you give us your contact details, only Thiscovery will contact you about the survey.

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How long will we keep your information?

Your survey answers:

• Thiscovery keeps them for 24 months after the project ends
• NHS Frimley keeps them for health planning (usually 5-10 years)

Your contact details:

• Deleted by Thiscovery immediately if you ask us to remove them
• Deleted by Thiscovery when you haven't been active for 24 months

Survey summaries: May be kept forever to help plan NHS services (but these won't identify you)

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Your choices and rights

You can:

• Stop taking part at any time during the survey
• Skip questions you don't want to answer
• Ask to see what information we have about you
• Ask us to correct wrong information
• Ask us to delete your contact details (we will do this immediately)
• Complain if you're not happy

Important:

• If you don't give us your contact details, we might not be able to remove your survey answers later. This is because we won't know which answers are yours.  
• Once we transfer your survey data to NHS Frimley, we cannot get it back or delete it from their systems.  
• NHS Frimley will use your survey data for ongoing population health analysis, which may limit their ability to delete individual responses.  

Your healthcare will not be affected by taking part or not taking part in this survey.

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Survey results

If you give us your contact details, Thiscovery will tell you:

• What the survey found out
• How NHS Frimley are using it to improve NHS services
• Examples of changes NHS Frimley are making

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Contact us

Questions about the survey: Email Thiscovery at help@thiscovery.org

Questions about how NHS Frimley uses information: NHS Frimley - Privacy Notice‍

Complaints: NHS Frimley - Complaints and compliments

Data protection problems: Information Commissioner's Office - ico.org.uk

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Your consent

By taking part in this survey, you agree that:

• NHS Frimley can use your answers to plan NHS services
• Thiscovery can collect your answers for NHS Frimley
• You understand your survey answers will be shared with NHS Frimley, which will not include your name and email

You can stop taking part at any time.

Thank you for helping us improve NHS services in your area.