Patients give Harrogate cancer care highest national rating

Posted on: Friday 15 Jul 2016

Hundreds of patients with cancer have rated the care received at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust as the highest in the country when compared to other NHS trusts.

NHS England’s National Cancer Patient Survey 2015 sets out what patients across the country think about the cancer care they receive.

Asked to rate their care on a scale of zero (very poor) to 10 (very good), respondents gave Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust an average rating of 8.9. The national average was a rating of 8.7 and no NHS trust rated higher than 8.9.

This is the fifth yearly survey of all adults with cancer who were treated as an inpatient or day case between April-June 2015. 317 completed questionnaires were taken into account. Questions follow the patient journey from their initial GP referral through to diagnostics, treatment and discharge.

Key findings in the report include:

  • 85 per cent of respondents said that they were definitely involved as much as they wanted to be in decisions about their care and treatment.
  • When asked how easy or difficult it had been to contact their Clinical Nurse Specialist, 92 per cent of respondents said that it had been ‘quite easy’ or ‘very easy’.
  • 89 per cent of respondents said that, overall, they were always treated with dignity and respect they were in hospital.
  • 99 per cent of respondents said that hospital staff told them who to contact if they were worried about their condition or treatment after they left hospital.

Paula Middlebrook, General Manager for Long Term Conditions and Unscheduled Care at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Thank you to everyone who completed the survey. Your voice counts and these results really do help us to continue to improve the care we provide.

“We’re really proud of our cancer services here – which includes the Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre – and these results demonstrate the high quality care and support we provide to patients and their families.”

ENDS

For further information please contact:

Paul Widdowfield, Communications and Marketing Manager, [email protected] and 01423 557470.