Survey finds Glasgow cancer patients have 'good' NHS experience

A national survey has found cancer patients in Glasgow and Clyde overwhelmingly say they had a good experience of care, but many are missing out on much-needed needed emotional, financial and practical support.

Around 5000 patients across Scotland took part in the survey carried out by the Scottish Government and Macmillan Cancer Support.

The aim was to find out how patients felt about the way they were cared for and supported as they moved through the cancer care system.

Encouragingly 95% of all those surveyed in Glasgow and Clyde rated their care as positive, similar to the 95% who rated their care as positive across Scotland.

The vast majority 97% of respondents in Glasgow and Clyde felt they were always treated with dignity and respect by the nurses and doctors while 84% were given access to a cancer nurse specialist.

However the survey, the second of its kind, also found areas for improvement, with many people in Glasgow and Clyde still missing out on emotional, practical and financial support.

Among those who wanted it, only 59% felt they got enough care and support from health and social care services during treatment, which reduced to just 49% after treatment.

Only 53% of people felt they had been completely supported emotionally and psychologically by healthcare professionals during treatment and just 67% of those who wanted financial and benefits advice were offered it.

The survey also found 25% said healthcare professional didn’t give someone close to them all the information they needed to care for them at home, while 25% said they were only given this information to “some extent”.

Only 30% of people with cancer in Glasgow and Clyde said they had been given a care plan - despite the previous survey showing patients who had a care plan had a more positive experience of almost every aspect of cancer care.

Macmillan’s head in Scotland, Janice Preston, said: “It’s great news that people overwhelming rate their experience of care as good, and it’s positive to see there have been some areas of improvement from the first survey.

“However it’s clear the emotional, practical and financial needs of many people are still not being met.

“It’s particularly disappointing to see most people still aren’t receiving care plans, despite the positive impact we know they have on people’s care.

“Cancer can affect every aspect of life, causing problems from debt to depression. Too many people don’t know where to turn for support and as this survey shows, they’re often not getting this information from the cancer care system.

“We know staff work extremely hard and try to do everything they can to help, but until everyone with cancer in Scotland is guaranteed a care plan and personalised support, some people and some needs will continue to fall through the cracks.”

The survey also shows gaps in the information given to people with cancer.

Among those who wanted it, just 64% were offered all the practical advice and support they needed to deal with the side effects of treatment and 29% didn’t completely understand the explanation of what was wrong with them.

While 85% of people felt they were diagnosed sensitively, 10% thought it should have been a bit more sensitive an 4% a lot more sensitive.