Website of the Department of Health

National surveys of NHS patients: Cancer - national overview 1999/2000

This survey is the third in the series. Its overall purpose, as for the earlier survey of hospital patients, was to assess the quality of care as seen by hospital patients - in this instance with one of six types of cancer - breast, colorectal, lung, ovarian, prostate or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Over 65,000 patients drawn from over170 NHS Trusts participated in the survey. Fieldwork therefore did not begin until after the publication of the National Cancer Plan in September 2000. However,the period of reference for the survey on which patients participating in the survey were asked to focus was, for the great majority of questions, that prior to July 2000. The Cancer Plan includes targets for reducing waiting times, improved standards for cancer services and increased staff numbers and training. This report therefore offers a benchmark from which the implementation of the National Cancer Plan can be monitored. Following the publication of the National Cancer Plan, NHS Trusts were grouped into cancer 'Networks' to improve the coordination of cancer care. The Trusts participating in this survey belong to 34 different Networks. Typically a Network would include four to six Trusts in relatively close proximity.

• Download national overview 1999/2000 (PDF, 764K)