MORAY PATIENTS WHO had a confirmed cancer diagnosis between July 2013 and March 2014 are to be asked to complete a cancer patient experience survey.
The first ever national survey of its kind is being launched by the Scottish Government and Macmillan Cancer Support and will quiz patients on how they felt about the way they were informed of their diagnosis.
Patients will also be asked if they understood the information they were provide with about their treatment – and if they had “confidence and trust” in the staff treating them.
The results of the survey will be made public in the summer of 2016 – and is expected to help shape the future direction of cancer care in Scotland.
Stewart Stevenson MSP welcomed the move, saying: “I believe that this is an excellent idea funded by both the Scottish Government and Macmillan Cancer Support – looking at the future of cancer care in Scotland by asking the people that have already experienced what is on offer.
“The results of this survey will be very interesting and can only go towards creating a more informed service than what we currently have.”
Janice Preston, General Manager for Macmillan Cancer Support in Scotland, said: “Macmillan is delighted that the Scottish Government has launched a cancer patient experience survey in Scotland.
“It is the first time such a comprehensive survey of cancer patients’ experiences of care has been conducted in Scotland and Macmillan is delighted to be a partner in this hugely significant initiative. It is vitally important to measure survival rates and cancer waiting times targets, but it is equally important to find out what patients really think about the quality of the care they receive.
“We hope local health boards take the survey’s results into consideration to inform planning for future cancer services to make sure these services meet people’s clinical and non-clinical needs and that they are truly person-centred. Cancer treatment goes beyond surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. We need people-centred care, not just symptom-focussed treatment.”