Patients rate cancer care highly at RD&E

Patients treated for cancer at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital have highly rated the level of care they received in the 2015 National Cancer Patient Experience Survey.

In its fifth year, the NHS England National Cancer Patient Experience Survey is designed to monitor national progress on cancer care, to drive forward quality improvements, and to inform the work of groups supporting patients. Organisations are rated as being ‘lower’, ‘within’ or ‘higher’ than an expected range.

At the RD&E, 1,044 cancer patients took part in the survey, with response rate of 76%. Patients were impressed with their experience, scoring their overall care at 8.9 out of 10, giving the Trust a rating of ‘higher’ than expected.

The Trust performed above the expected national level across a range of key indicators covering patients’ involvement in decisions about their care, their treatment and in-patient experience and the level of advice and support offered to themselves and their families:

• 91% said that they were always treated with dignity and respect
• 81% said they were definitely involved as much as they wanted to be in decisions about their care and treatment
• 92% said that they were given the name of a Clinical Nurse Specialist who would support them through their treatment
• 94% said that hospital staff told them who to contact if they were worried about their condition or treatment after they left hospital

John Renninson Associate Medical Director for Cancer Services at the RD&E said: “We are delighted with the results of the survey which show the continued high level of confidence our patients have in the care, treatment and support they received. It is especially pleasing to have recognition for the support and information provided which has been a key area of development for us in recent years. Much of this has been achieved with the support of FORCE our amazing local cancer charity.”

Tina Grose, Lead Nurse for Cancer, added: “More and more people are living with and beyond cancer, so we are delighted to receive this year’s results – the continued improvement in patient care is a reflection on a number of key areas including; the great work delivered daily from our clinical teams, and the introduction of the Living with and Beyond Cancer programme, which underpins the clinical treatment by providing signposting for patients and their families to holistic support and information as early as possible after their diagnosis.

“This has been made possible by taking an increasingly collaborative approach with both local and national charities to provide Health & Wellbeing clinics, holistic needs assessments and individual care planning.  The information from which will then be shared with the team that look after the patient, including their GP.  Cancer is changing, and so are we.”

Nationally over 100,000 adult cancer patients in England who underwent treatment between April and June 2015 took part in the survey.

For more information about the survey National Cancer Patient Experience Survey 2015 visit www.ncpes.co.uk