Tens of thousands of cancer patients have rated
the care they received from the NHS as nearly
nine out of ten, as NHS teams see and treat record numbers
of people for the disease.
The latest patient experience figures come as NHS
cancer checks have reached nearly 3.4 million in a year
- more than doubling in the last decade.
The number of patients receiving cancer treatment has also
reached a record high, with the
NHS starting 700,000 treatments in the year to
May - almost 2,000 every day on
average.
More than 64,000 people responded to the 2025 National Cancer
Patient Experience Survey, giving their overall care an average
score of 8.92 out of
10 - maintaining the high standards of
care seen last year.
Patients gave some of the highest scores to the advice,
information and support provided by their cancer teams.
More than nine in ten patients (91.4%) said they had a main point
of contact within their care team, while 95.6% of those who
received advice from that person found it helpful.
More than nine in ten said they received all the information they
needed before a diagnostic test, while 94.6% said they were
always given enough privacy when receiving their results.
The main areas of improvement for patients over the past year
related to communication or sharing information, with more
patients receiving clear information about what to do after
leaving hospital, rising from 87.3% to 88.4%, and more saying
someone close to them could speak to their hospital team, up from
70.8% to 72.1%.
Professor Peter Johnson, NHS national clinical director
for cancer, said:
NHS teams are seeing and treating record numbers of patients
for cancer, so it is hugely encouraging that
patients continue to rate their care nearly nine out of
ten.
Being diagnosed with cancer is incredibly difficult, and these
results are testament to staff who make sure patients receive
clear information, have their privacy respected and know there is
someone they can turn to.
We always want to go further for patients, and we know there
is more we can do to ensure every patient receives the
same high-quality experience. Our National Cancer Plan
will see every patient receiving personalised support
before, during and after treatment.
Health Minister said:
This important survey shows that thousands of cancer patients
continue to receive high-quality care from the NHS,
and highlights where there is more work to do.
"We are determined to ensure that every single patient gets the
high standard of care they deserve and that their loved ones and
carers get the right support, too.
These findings will help inform future improvements as we put our
National Cancer Plan into action.
The National Cancer Patient Experience Survey has run annually
since 2010 and helps NHS organisations identify good
practice and areas where care can be improved.
