Cancer patients at University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) have scored the care and treatment they received an impressive 9 out of 10 overall in the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey.
At UHMBT, the survey was completed by 510 patients and the results were published on Thursday 24 July.
The National Cancer Patient Experience Survey 2023 is now in its thirteenth year and provides an insight into how patients have found their experience at the Trust. Patients said the whole care team worked well together and the overall score for this survey question was 91%. UHMBT saw many increases in its scores compared to the previous survey, for example, the score for a question about whether the patient’s family, or someone close, was definitely able to talk to a member of the team looking after them in hospital, rose from 65% to 79% - an increase of 14% on the previous year.
Nationally, the 2023 survey involved 132 NHS Trusts, and 63,428 people responded to the survey - a response rate of 52%. UHMBT’s response rate was 53%.
UHMBT received high scores on questions relating to the amount of time it took to receive information about diagnostic tests in advance, and privacy being given when receiving test results. Communication also yielded positive results with patients reporting that referral to diagnosis was explained in a way that could be completely understood, and that they were able to get help from staff when they needed it.
Scores above the expected range and national average included the following:
- Enough privacy was always given to the patient when receiving diagnostic test results - 97%, as opposed to the national average score of 95%.
- Patient felt the length of waiting time at clinic and day unit for cancer treatment was about right – 88% as opposed to the national average of 78%.
- Patient was always able to get help from ward staff when needed – 81%, as opposed to the national average of 73%.
- Patient's family, or someone close, was definitely able to talk to a member of the team looking after the patient in hospital - 79%, compared to the national average of 70%.
- Referral for diagnosis was explained in a way the patient could completely understand - 72%, as opposed to the national average score of 67%.
The survey also demonstrated improvements in many areas including:
- Being able to discuss worries and fears with hospital staff whilst an inpatient.
- Having a discussion regarding cancer research opportunities with the clinical team.
- Being given information about how to get financial help or benefits.
- Making it easier to contact their main contact person.
Areas for improvement included the following:
- Patient was definitely told about their diagnosis in an appropriate place – UHMBT scored 82%, as opposed to the national figure of 86%.
- A member of their care team helped the patient create a care plan to address any needs or concerns – UHMBT scored 90% compared to the national score of 94%.
Fiona Macdonald, Lead Cancer Nurse, UHMBT, said: “I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated in the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey.
“Your feedback is invaluable and plays a crucial role in our continuous efforts to enhance patient care. Additionally, I want to express my deepest gratitude to our dedicated staff for their relentless commitment to implementing improvements based on the survey findings. Your hard work and dedication are instrumental in ensuring we provide the highest quality of care for our cancer patients and families.”
Tabetha Darmon, Chief Nursing Officer, UHMBT, said: “On behalf of our Trust, I would like to say a huge thank you to our patients who took the time to complete this survey.
“The survey results will help us to monitor our progress and make quality improvements where necessary. All feedback from our patients helps us to improve care and treatment, and to plan our services for the future.
“The results demonstrate the great teamwork and professionalism of colleagues who provide excellent care and treatment for cancer patients at our Trust. The results also demonstrate that our Trust Strategy – ‘Putting Patients First’ – is having an impact on care and treatment. We will continue to strive to provide great care for all cancer patients at UHMBT.”
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Notes for editors:
- The National Cancer Patient Experience Survey 2023 has been designed to monitor progress on cancer care; to provide information to drive local quality improvements; to assist commissioners and providers of cancer care; and to inform the work of the various charities and stakeholder groups supporting cancer patients.
- The survey was undertaken by Picker on behalf of NHS England, and it was overseen by a national Cancer Patient Experience Advisory Group. This Advisory Group set the principles and objectives of the survey programme and guided questionnaire development. The survey was commissioned and managed by NHS England. The survey provider, Picker, is responsible for designing, running and analysing the survey.
- All of the national and local survey results for 2023.