Cancer patients at University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) have rated their overall care an impressive 9.1 out of 10 overall in the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey.
The Trust achieved a number of scores above the national expected range and recorded strong results across many aspects of cancer care and treatment.
Now in its fifteenth year, the National Cancer Patient Experience survey provides valuable insight into how patients have experienced cancer services at UHMBT and across England. Conducted by Picker on behalf of NHS England, the survey helps NHS organisations to understand what is working well and where improvements can be made.
Highlights include the fact that at UHMBT 99% of patients said their care team reviewed their care plan to ensure it was up to date, 97% of patients said advice from their main contact person was very or quite helpful and 95% of patients said they were always given enough privacy when receiving diagnostic test results.
The survey also highlighted a number of areas where UHMBT patients reported positive experiences, including:
- 94% of patients said staff provided relevant information on available support, beating the overall national score of 92%
- 94% of patients said they received all the information needed about diagnostic tests in advance, again beating the national score of 93%
- 92% of patients said the whole care team worked well together whereas the national score was 89%
- 89% of patients rated the administration of care as very good or good, beating the national score of 87%
- 86% of patients felt the waiting time at clinics and day units for cancer treatment was about right whereas the national score was 80%
A total of 637 patients responded to the survey from an eligible sample of 1,282 patients, giving UHMBT a 50% response rate, higher than the national response rate of 48%.
The results also demonstrate improvements in several areas compared with the previous survey.
Scores increased for patients who felt diagnostic test results were explained in a way they could completely understand (76% to 78%), patients who were able to get further advice from a different healthcare professional before making treatment decisions (55% to 62%), patients who felt treatment options were explained clearly (80% to 83%), and patients who received the right amount of information and support between final treatment and follow-up appointments (80% to 84%).
UHMBT recorded one score above the expected range and two scores below the expected range when compared with trusts of a similar size and patient demographic. The areas below the expected range related to patients being told about their diagnosis in an appropriate place and support with pain control during a hospital stay.
Dr Lydia Briggs, Macmillan Lead Cancer Nurse, UHMBT, said: “We are delighted that our patients continue to rate their overall care so highly, with an average score of 9.1 out of 10. These results reflect the commitment, professionalism and compassion shown every day by our cancer teams across Morecambe Bay.
“We aim to offer a wide range of support through all our cancer teams, including our Clinical Nurse Specialists, Cancer Support Workers and the Macmillan Information and Support Service, who personalise the support offered to each individual. It is therefore particularly pleasing to see that 97% of patients felt advice from their main contact person was helpful and 94% reported they received relevant information about support services. We would like to thank every patient who took the time to complete the survey and share their experiences with us.”
Barry Rigg, Head of Patient Experience, UHMBT, said: “Listening to our patients is one of the most important ways we can understand what matters most to them and continue improving our services. It is encouraging to see so many positive responses across the survey and to know that patients value the care, support and communication they receive from our staff. We will use this feedback alongside patient stories and other forms of engagement to drive further improvements.”
Dr Helen Skinner, Chief Medical Officer, UHMBT, said: “These survey findings are a testament to the dedication and teamwork of colleagues across our hospitals and community services who work tirelessly to provide outstanding care for cancer patients. We are very pleased to see strong performance in areas including collaborative working between teams and the overall patient experience.
“We also recognise that there are areas where we need to do better. The survey tells us that we need to continue improving how we support patients with discussions around pain management during hospital stays and ensuring the environment in which people receive significant news fully meets their needs. We are committed to working with colleagues across the Trust and with our partners to continue enhancing services and improving patient experience.”
More information about UHMBT's cancer services is available on this link.
The full National Cancer Patient Experience Survey 2025 results are available on this link.
Notes to editors
- The National Cancer Patient Experience Survey 2025 is the fifteenth national survey of cancer patients, having first been conducted in 2010.
- The survey was carried out by Picker on behalf of NHS England.
- UHMBT received responses from 637 patients from an adjusted sample of 1,282 eligible patients, giving a response rate of 50%.
- Nationally, 64,268 patients responded to the survey from 134,285 eligible patients, a response rate of 48%.