92% Of NI Cancer Patients Rate Overall Care Excellent Or Very Good

More than nine out of ten cancer patients in Northern Ireland said that their overall care was excellent or very good, according to findings from the Public Health Agency (PHA), Health and Social Care Board (HSC Board) and Macmillan Cancer Support.

The survey asked 79 questions covering the whole pathway of care. Over 3,200 patients responded and in many responses gave higher scores than hospital inpatients in the wider UK context.

However, there were a number of areas for which the experience of patients fell below the optimum level and for which there may be opportunities for service improvements.

These include:

• Being given the name of a clinical nurse specialist (CNS).

• For those having an operation in hospital, being given easy to understand written information in advance about the operation.

• Being given information on financial help and benefits they might be entitled to.

Dr Miriam McCarthy, Consultant in Public Health at the PHA, said: "Patient experience is key in driving forward innovation and improvement in health and social care, so the feedback of these patients will be invaluable. It is essential that we have the right processes in place which allow us to listen and learn from patients across all areas within the health service. The CPES provided an opportunity for cancer patients to provide detailed information on their experience of care in a confidential matter.

"In this first CPES for Northern Ireland, we are pleased to see that patients' overall views of the service and treatment they received are positive. However, there are areas where specific improvements can be made to ensure a better patient experience and, in this regard, the Northern Ireland CPES will be important in shaping the future of services for people with cancer."

(CD/LM)