Wirral University Teaching Hospital celebrates positive feedback in national cancer patient survey

Patients receiving cancer care at Wirral University Teaching Hospital (WUTH) have praised the care they received, with the Trust scoring above the national average in several key areas in the latest National Cancer Patient Experience Survey (NCPES).

 

The 2024 survey, which captures the experiences of people treated for cancer at NHS hospitals across England, found that patients at WUTH felt listened to, supported and involved in decisions about their care.

 

Among the results, 92% of patients said their wait at the clinic or day unit for cancer treatment was ‘about right’, well above the national average of 79%. A further 84% said the wait for diagnostic test results felt right, again above the national average and placing WUTH above the expected range.

 

Patients also highlighted the support of staff with 97% highlighting they found advice from their main point of contact helpful, and 91% indicating their care team worked well together, both higher than the national averages.

 

WUTH also scored strongly in areas relating to communication and emotional support. Of the patients surveyed, 91% said they received clear, understandable information before surgery, topping the national average and reflecting a clear focus on high standards across treatment types.

 

Patients felt treated as individuals, with 85% saying they were always treated with dignity and respect while in hospital, and 88% saying they were given clear instructions on what to do after being discharged.

 

A patient who took part in the survey commented: “Overall my experience was very positive. Very fast plan for surgery after diagnosis. Amazing staff throughout treatment and follow-up.”

 

Compared to the previous year, WUTH improved in 28 domains across the survey, with all four areas that had previously scored more than 5% below the national average showing significant improvement.

 

The Breast, Colorectal, Prostate and Skin cancer services each achieved 100% across 18 individual survey questions, a reflection of the quality, compassion and expertise delivered by clinical teams.

 

Janelle Holmes, Chief Executive at WUTH, said: “Receiving a cancer diagnosis is often one of the most frightening moments in someone’s life, so to know that our patients feel listened to, supported and treated with compassion throughout their care means everything to us. These results show that we are making a real difference when it matters most.”

 

Dawn Miller, Lead Cancer Nurse at WUTH, said: “We would like to thank all of our clinical teams for their hard work and dedication over the past 12 months. These results reflect the care, compassion and professionalism they show every day.”

 

Julie Morrish, Lead Cancer Nurse at WUTH, said: “These results are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our teams. It’s especially rewarding to see improvements in areas we’ve focused on, showing we’re listening to our patients and making real progress.”

 

The results are based on feedback from 198 cancer patients who received treatment at WUTH between April and June 2024.