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title: "Automating Friends and Family F&F"
canonical: "https://wiki.patientsknowbest.com/space/DEPLOY/5235573096/Automating%20Friends%20and%20Family%C2%A0F%26F"
format: markdown
---
> Macro (toc)

South West Yorkshire Partnership Teaching Trust (SWYFT) has successfully launched an automated solution for the NHS Friends and Family Test (F&F) using PKB. This workflow demonstrates how Trusts can use existing data streams to drive patient engagement and statutory reporting without manual intervention.

# The Challenge

Many Trusts struggle with the administrative burden of collecting F&F feedback. SWYFT previously relied on a third-party provider to process a daily CSV of eligible patients and send out survey links.

# PKB Solution

SWYFT automated the workflow using PKB’s Advanced Questionnaires (AQs), which are triggered via their Trust Integration Engine (TIE).

- Automated Integration: Post-appointment, patient data is pulled into a daily CSV file. The TIE automatically intercepts this extract and triggers the PKB API, removing all manual administrative steps.
- The 30-Day Rule: To prevent survey fatigue, custom logic in the TIE filters out duplicates and ensures that a patient receives an F&F invitation only once every 30 days, regardless of how many appointments they attend.
- User Journey: The patient receives a standard PKB AQ notification. As the NHS F&F test must be strictly anonymous, the AQ includes a generic link that redirects the patient out of PKB to a secure Microsoft Forms page. This ensures their feedback remains unidentifiable.

![image-20260526-003508.png](media://f85ba0de-cf64-4ff3-98d1-46ddc4f088d6)

# Key Benefits

- Zero admin: Fully automated for staff with no manual uploads
- Cost efficiency: Utilises existing TIE infrastructure and PKB software
- Centralised communication: The survey invitation reinforces PKB as the Trust's digital front door

# Next Steps

Building on their recent contract extension, SWYFT is using this successful framework as a proof of concept to scale their digital transformation. This expansion includes transitioning from static care plan delivery to dynamic, interactive resources, starting with a Mood Diary Care Plan in PKB and rolling out automated AQs across additional clinical pathways.