Majority of cancer patients in Wales say they receive high quality care – new survey shows

The survey, of more than 6,700 cancer patients, was conducted on behalf of the Welsh Government and Macmillan Cancer Support. It has been designed to measure and understand patient experience of cancer care and treatment in Wales to help drive improvement at the national and local level.

The survey showed that overall, patients reported high levels of patient satisfaction for cancer care in Wales, improvements in the allocation of a key worker and experience among lung cancer patients.

This survey has highlighted many positive aspects of cancer care in Wales. These include:

• 93% of respondents rated their overall experience as 7/10 or more;
• 97% of respondents who had a choice of treatments said that their treatment options were explained to them;
• 90% of respondents rated the overall administration of their care as “good” or “very good”;
• 86% of respondents reported that they were given the name and contact details of their Key Worker.

The survey highlights areas for continued focus, such as information quality, offer of a written care plan, and experience in certain cancers such as sarcoma and brain cancer.

The findings of the survey will help support ongoing efforts to deliver more person-centred cancer care as part of the Cancer Delivery Plan for Wales.

Welcoming the survey, Health Secretary Vaughan Gething said:

“I would like to thank the more than 6,700 individuals who took the time to respond to the survey. From their effort we can now start to paint a picture of cancer services in Wales and give health boards and trusts important detail on how we can all do better, both policy makers and those delivering services directly to people affected by cancer.

“It is a tremendous testament to the dedication, skill and compassion of those delivering cancer care that 93% of respondents rated their care seven or more out of ten. This is exceptional and is only possible due to the quality and dedication of healthcare professionals across Wales.

“Whilst it would be very easy to focus on only the positive outcomes of this survey - it is vital that we do not lose sight of areas where we can do better. We will not rest until all these issues are addressed. We have a new cancer plan, a new cancer network and new commitment to person-centred cancer care. We will continue to work with key partners such the cancer alliance and cancer network to support progress in these areas.”

Susan Morris, Head of Services for Macmillan Cancer Support in Wales, said:

“Macmillan was pleased to carry out the Wales Cancer Patient Experience Survey with the Welsh Government for the second time as it gives us an in-depth insight into what people with cancer think about their care.

“The survey asked people about their experience from when they suspected they had cancer through to their diagnosis, treatment and end of care and we would like to thank the 6,714 people who took the time to answer questions about this.

“Macmillan believes having a good experience of care is as important as having excellent medical treatment and these results show us what is working well in cancer care in Wales and where improvements are needed.”