19 April 2013
Cancer patients who have received radiotherapy at Weston Park Hospital have heaped praise on their care a national survey has found.
Ninety seven per cent of patients rated their overall care at the hospital as either excellent or very good in the national Radiotherapy Patient Satisfaction Survey.
The service also scored very well in many other areas. These include:
Nationally, sometimes people with cancer feel they are treated as “a set of cancer symptoms”, rather than a whole person and the survey asked patients at the Trust how they felt they were treated during their care.
95% felt they were always treated as whole person rather than as a set of cancer symptoms in the clinic. While 97% felt the reception desk treated them as a whole person and 96% felt they were treated as whole person in the treatment room.
Patient Natalie Lynam, 48, has recently been treated with radiotherapy for breast cancer at Weston Park. She said she was very impressed with the strong support she received there.
She said: “It was very daunting when you make that first journey to the hospital but this stressful feeling vanished the moment I arrived. Everyone was very kind and helpful. By the second visit the receptionist already knew me by name and all the staff were always very generous with their time to answer all my questions about my care.
“I wake up looking forward to seeing the girls who treat me. You build a really strong relationship with them, they make me feel better and always manage to put a smile on my face which lasts for the rest of the day. I’m coming to the end of my treatment, and I know this might sound silly, but I will miss coming here and seeing them.”
The Trust also received good marks for the other areas that the survey covered. These included questions on written information before radiotherapy, getting to the hospital, the patient’s radiotherapy treatment, support, daily visits and further visits to the clinic.
Dr Patricia Fisher, Clinical Director of Specialised Cancer Services, at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said the excellent results of the survey reflected the great care and hard work which happens every day at the hospital.
She said: “Having to go through cancer treatment is a very difficult time in a person’s life so it’s vital that the care we offer them is not just clinically outstanding but also compassionate and understanding. We are very proud that this survey clearly highlights the hard work and dedication of our staff in radiotherapy who strive everyday to give our patients that level of care.”
