Share your experiences of cancer treatment and care 

Project title: National Cancer Patient Experience Survey 2024 
Lead researcher: Caroline Hancock at Picker, on behalf of NHS England (NHSE)

Who is organising the research? 

NHSE have contracted Picker, an independent health and social care research charity based in Oxford, to manage and support the survey and are acting as a data processor on NHSE’s behalf. 

What are we doing?

The survey has been implemented thirteen times since 2010. We want to test the questionnaire ahead of its fourteenth iteration running in late 2024 to ensure it makes sense and is clearly understood by patients completing it.  

Who can take part?

We are looking for participants aged 16 or above who have a confirmed primary diagnosis of cancer and have received cancer-related treatment from the NHS within the last year.  

What will happen if I take part?

We will schedule a convenient time for you to speak with a researcher from Picker to go over the questionnaire and provide your feedback. The interview will be conducted via video call using an online video/audio conferencing software (e.g. Microsoft Teams), over the telephone or in person (we will ask you which method you would prefer). 

We will send you a copy of the questionnaire along with a consent form for you to sign beforehand. The researcher will ask some questions to understand your thoughts about the questionnaire. For example, they may ask if you found any questions confusing, what your thoughts are about the terms used, and how you found the design of the questionnaire. Your feedback and comments will be recorded to help us improve the questionnaire.  

The interview should take about 60 minutes to complete. Once the interview is complete, you will be given a £50 Amazon or Love2Shop voucher as a thank you for your time.

Do I have to take part?

No, participation is voluntary. It is up to you whether you wish to take part.  

You can decide not to take part and withdraw at any time – even after the interview has started, without giving a reason.  

If you decide not to take part, this will not affect the care you receive in any way. Your care providers will not know who has taken part.  

What are the benefits of taking part?

The information you provide will be used to help improve a new questionnaire before it is sent out to other cancer patients. The findings from the survey will help us better understand the experiences of people living with cancer and will help influence and shape cancer services in the future.

Will what I say in this study be kept confidential?

• Yes – your views will be kept entirely confidential. No identifying information (such as names) will be shared with anyone who provides your care and treatment. 
• We will report your views anonymously, ensuring no one can link your comments to you.  
• What you say about the questionnaire will not affect your healthcare or rights to healthcare in any way.  
• You will be asked to complete a consent form that will be used only by researchers to confirm you have agreed to take part.  
• Picker will use your personal data and responses solely for the purposes of this research. 

What will happen to the information that I share? 

The information that you share will be used to inform the development of the survey questions and ensure that the final questions make sense before it is sent out to cancer patients. The findings from the survey will help us better understand the experiences of people living with cancer and will help influence and shape cancer services in the future. 

The comments you provide will be looked at in full by the researchers analysing the data. All information you provide will be anonymised; any details that might identify you will be removed before publishing any of your feedback.  

Your personal details (name and contact information) and all completed questionnaires from the interviews will be kept until the survey development is complete, after which they will be securely destroyed. Your information will be stored in line with NHS England’s retention schedule, which can be accessed here: NHS England » Corporate records retention and disposal schedule 

NHS England and Picker comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018. NHSE are data controller & Picker are acting as data processor on behalf of NHSE. NHS England’s Privacy Notice (https://www.england.nhs.uk/contact-us/privacy-notice/) describes how we use personal data and explains how you can contact us and invoke your rights as a data subject. Picker also complies with the Market Research Society’s (MRS) Code of Conduct by maintaining certifications from the International Standardisation of Organisations. Any sensitive or confidential material is stored securely in line with our data protection policy. 

Ready to take part?

If you would like to register your interest in taking part, please complete the following interest by clicking the button below:

You will be asked questions about your demographic, your cancer diagnosis and treatment, and your availability. A researcher will follow-up with you afterwards on next steps. 

Contact details

If you have any questions or comments, please contact us on: 

Email: CPES@pickereurope.ac.uk 

Phone: +44 (0) 1865208140