NHS cancer services getting better at involving patients’ families and carers, according to national survey  

Most people receiving NHS cancer care in England report good experiences of care – and there have been particular improvements in how well hospitals welcome the involvement of patients’ families and carers. 

The results are based on a major national survey published today by NHS England and Picker. More than 63,000 people responded to the survey, which was carried out between November 2023 and February 2024.  

As in previous years, the majority of respondents reported good experiences with specialist cancer teams and in hospital. Nearly nine in ten (87%) said that the administration of their care was “very good” or “good”, and a similar proportion (90%) reported that their whole care team worked well together to provide the best possible care.  

The survey showed continuing improvements in how well NHS providers welcome the involvement of people’s families and carers, which is a key feature of person centred care. In 2023, more than four in five patients (81%) said that they were told that they could have a family member, friend, or carer with them when they received their diagnosis: up from 76% in 2022 and 70% in 2021. Similarly, the proportion of people who said that a family member of someone else close to them was “definitely” able to talk to a member of the care team in hospital rose to 70%: an improvement from 66% in 2022 and 61% in 2021. 

People’s experiences outside of hospital were generally less positive. Of those patients who said that their GP practice was involved in their cancer treatment, only 46% said that they “definitely” received the right amount of support. Although this represents improvement from 45% in 2022 and 44% in 2021, there is an ongoing need to accelerate this improvement to ensure that people are supported outside of hospital. Notably the proportion of people who had a review of cancer care by their GP practice has increased by more than a quarter since 2021, but remains low at 23%. 

Commenting on the findings, Chris Graham, Group CEO at Picker, said:

“Involvement and support for family and carers is one of Picker’s eight Principles of Person Centred Care. People’s families, carers, and friends provide a vital support network, and evidence shows that patients want and expect opportunities for them to be involved in their care, especially for serious conditions like cancer. It is really encouraging that results from the latest NHS Cancer Patient Experience Survey show sustained and substantial improvement in this area, which had previously been considered a weakness.  

“There is little doubt that patients who are able to access specialist NHS cancer services tend to feel well treated and looked after. But the survey continues to show substantial room for improvement in the wider support for people undergoing cancer care – including from general practices and when people need help outside of hospital. Holistic improvement in all aspects of care and support are needed to ensure that people with cancer can consistently benefit from high quality person centred care.” 

Full results from the survey are available at www.ncpes.co.uk

Notes for Editors

• For media enquiries, please contact Nicola Porter (Nicola.Porter@PickerEurope.ac.uk; 01865 208 100). 
• Picker is an international charity working across health and social care. Established in the UK in 2000, we promote a vision of the highest quality person centred care for all, always. We work with policy makers, providers, professionals, and the public to understand, measure, and improve people’s experiences of care.  
• The national cancer patient experience survey is conducted by Picker on behalf of NHS England. Full details of the survey methodology and detailed results are available via the survey’s dedicated website, https://www.ncpes.co.uk/  
• The 2023 national cancer patient experience survey was conducted between November 2023 and February 2024 across all 132 acute and specialist NHS Trusts in England that provide adult cancer services. The survey includes all adult patients (aged 16 or over) with a confirmed diagnosis of cancer who were admitted to hospital or seen as day cases for cancer related treatment and who were discharged between 1^st April 2023 and 30^th June 2023. Overall, 121,121 people were invited to take part in the survey and 63,438 responded – a response rate of 52%.  
• Picker’s team of researchers and data scientists are available to support organisations in understanding, measuring, and improving patient experience. For queries about our services or to request a call, please contact info@pickereurope.ac.uk.