Cancer care in Gateshead praised by patients

Cancer care at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead has been praised by patients in the latest national survey of cancer patients in England.

The National Cancer Patient Experience Survey is conducted each year and asks a range of questions about the care patients receive during their cancer journey, from first appointments, to treatment and their ongoing care.

Patients gave Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust a rating of 9 out of 10 overall for their cancer care.

Gateshead scored well in a range of key area relating to patient care, including:

  • 97% of patients always felt they were treated with dignity and respect
  • 94% of patients said they’d been given the name of their clinical nurse specialist
  • 93% of patients were told who to contact if they were worried about their condition or treatment after leaving hospital

Gateshead has a strong track record of providing good cancer care for patients and the hospital has regularly featured at the top of national league tables measuring patient experience across England in recent years.

Julie Lamb, head of cancer and palliative care/lead cancer nurse, said: “Finding out you have cancer is one of the most difficult things someone will ever face so we are extremely pleased that our patients have rated us so highly for compassionate and high-quality care. The fact that we’ve maintained our high standing during a pandemic is a great achievement I am so proud of all of our staff working within our Trust who are so committed to the needs of our cancer patients.”

“It is also very positive to hear that the vast majority of patients feel they are treated with dignity and respect. We have highly experienced cancer nurse specialists who provide the one-to-one support that is crucial to cancer patients. We also have dedicated administrative, radiology, pathology and allied health professionals who all work tirelessly to provide good, timely care.”

Surgeon Mark Katory, the trust’s lead cancer clinician, said: “In Gateshead we’re all determined to provide the best possible treatment and care for patients with cancer despite the challenges of the last 18 months. I’d like to thank all my colleagues working in this field for their hard work and dedication to maintain and recover clinical services during the Covid-19 pandemic.”

“Thank you also to the patients that took the time to complete the survey – their feedback is invaluable for us and it’s good to hear directly from patients about the care they have received. This gives us a valuable insight into how patients feel about the services we provide, what’s working and what could be done better. Every year we strive to continue to improve and we will be analysing the results of this report to how we can make an even bigger difference to our patients dealing with cancer.”