Patient surveys are an important means of reviewing and evaluating cancer services. What patients tell us about their experiences can be used alone or together with the findings of audits and other projects to identify areas that may require improvement.

The first network-wide patient experience survey took place in 2008 and was repeated in 2009 and 2010. A specific survey relating to patients’ experience of chemotherapy was undertaken in 2009 and in 2010. Each time the survey content has been developed in consultation with patients and clinicians.

Trust cancer services teams have worked with their multi-disciplinary teams to produce action plans in response to the survey findings.

General survey

The 2010 patient experience survey found that:

• 88% of patients surveyed said that they had had the chance to speak to a clinical nurse specialist (CNS) on the day they were diagnosed or a few days later.
• 90% of patients reported that they had been given the telephone number of a key worker, CNS or Macmillan nurse.
• Between 56% and 100% of patients reported that they were offered an information leaflet about their cancer.
• Of the 733 patients who said they were given an information leaflet 91% felt that it met their needs.

Chemotherapy survey

The 2010 chemotherapy survey found that:

• 96% of patients said that they were given an information leaflet about chemotherapy when their treatment was first discussed with them.
• 94% of patients said that they were given an information leaflet about their specific chemotherapy drugs.
• 94% of patients said that they were given the opportunity to discuss their chemotherapy before it started.
• 99% of patients said that they had been given a telephone number to call if they became unwell.
• 95% of patients felt that they always or sometimes have enough privacy while being treated.

A national survey of cancer patient experience took place in 2010. The survey was undertaken by Quality Health on behalf of the Department of Health. Detailed reports for individual trusts have been published by Quality Health on their website.

It is anticipated that the next national patient experience survey will take place in 2012.