Cancer patients have their say on services in Northern Ireland
The Public Health Agency (PHA), Health and Social Care Board (HSC Board) and Macmillan Cancer Support are today publishing the findings of the first report into the care received by cancer patients in Northern Ireland.
The 2014-15 Cancer Patient Experience Survey (CPES) was issued to over 5,000 adult patients in active treatment for cancer in Northern Ireland. 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.
Key findings of the report include:
More than nine out of ten respondents (92%) in Northern Ireland said that their overall care was excellent or very good. By comparison in England, when the survey was undertaken in 2014, this figure was a little lower at 89%. Scores of 80% and over have been achieved in Northern Ireland on questions such as:
• Information on tests
• Being told sensitively they had cancer
• Verbal information on operations
• Privacy when being examined, treated and when discussing their condition
• Confidence and trust in doctors
• Pain control
• Being treated with respect and dignity
• Controlling the side effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy
• GP being given the right amount of information in order to care for the patient
There were however 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.”
Heather Monteverde, Head of Macmillan Services in Northern Ireland, said: “The message from patients is clear: they value the support of a Clinical Nurse Specialist, who is their key contact throughout treatment. Having a CNS is the single most important factor associated with high patient scores.
“We need to improve access to Clinical Nurse Specialist s for everyone diagnosed with cancer – no matter where they live, how old they are, or what type of cancer they have.
“Macmillan understands the current budgetary pressures that the health service is dealing with and we are committed to working in partnership with the PHA and the HSC Board to ensure everyone diagnosed with cancer in Northern Ireland has access to a CNS.”
Dean Sullivan Director of Commissioning at the HSC Board, concluded: “As joint commissioners, the HSC Board and the PHA welcome the findings from this report and will continue to work with partners and charities to ensure that their needs are being met. The report provides robust information regarding some of the priorities for future quality improvement initiatives based on the real life experience and assessment of services received by people with cancer. These findings will be important in informing developments which will continue to improve the patient experience.”