Cancer patients at Bedfordshire Hospitals Trust lose trust in staff

Macmillan Cancer Support said everyone diagnosed with cancer "should be receiving support that's right for their needs".

Figures from NHS England's cancer patient experience survey showed 68% of 218 patients who received cancer care at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and responded to the survey question said they had confidence and trust in every member of the team looking after them.

This was down slightly from 73% the year before, and below the average score across England of 77%.

The figures also showed the average rating of the 641 people who received cancer care at Bedfordshire Hospitals Trust – which runs Bedford Hospital and Luton & Dunstable Hospital – and provided an overall score was 8.8 out of 10.

Nationally, the overall experience of cancer patients rose marginally to 8.9 out of 10 last year.

Meanwhile, transgender cancer patients endured worse experiences than cisgender patients, providing an average score of 8.3 compared with 8.9.

Black patients also said they suffered from poorer experiences than white people, while gay and lesbian, and bisexual patients also scored their care lower.

Sarah Ruane, director of advocacy at Macmillan Cancer Support said: "It’s unacceptable that some people from ethnically diverse backgrounds, the LGBTQ+ community, or with an additional long-term health condition are significantly more likely to report poorer overall experiences of cancer care.

"But it doesn’t have to be this way. Everyone diagnosed with cancer across the UK should be receiving support that’s right for their needs."

Cancer Research UK said people are waiting too long for a diagnosis and to begin treatment, despite the NHS treating more patients than ever before.

Director of evidence and implementation, Naser Turabi, said: "A dedicated long-term cancer strategy is desperately needed to bring cancer waiting times down in England.

"We urge the Government to deliver investment and reform across NHS cancer services to ensure all patients receive the level of care they deserve."

An NHS spokesperson said: "Patient experience of care is incredibly important to the NHS and this survey is vital in highlighting where we can improve services.

"It’s encouraging to see that, on average, patients rated their overall experience of care 8.89 out of ten compared to 8.88 last year – and that more than three quarters of those surveyed said they received the right amount of support from hospital staff.

"But we recognise that more work is needed to tackle the current challenges faced by cancer services and ensure all patients receive high-quality and timely care."

We approached Bedfordshire Hospitals Trust for comment but they declined.