Patients’ positive feedback on local cancer care

CANCER care at South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust (SWFT) has received extremely positive results in a national survey of patients commissioned by NHS England.

Designed to drive quality improvements, the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey asks cancer patients to score different elements of their treatment. Patients are also asked to provide an average rating of care whereby zero indicates very poor care and 10 very good care - patients scored the Trust 9 out of 10. This, like many other key measures of the Trust's care, was above the national average for similar NHS organisations.

The Trust is set to build on this success by treating cancer patients from the newly opened Stratford Hospital in addition to the services currently provided at Warwick Hospital’s Aylesford Unit. The £22m hospital will meet increased demand for local cancer services within The Rigby Unit which includes facilities to deliver chemotherapy and supportive care.

Nurse consultant Carole Connor, who leads the team, said: “This survey is very important to us because it is direct feedback from our patients. These results are very promising because they show that the work undertaken by our dedicated team is making a difference to local people as we support them through their journey. Although we are pleased to know that our patients feel the standard of their care is high in many areas, we are always looking to make improvements; the outstanding staff and facilities at our new Stratford Hospital unit will help us do this.