Respect and quality care at cancer clinics.
Cancer care receives high praise from Mid North Coast patients
Nov 05, 2024People receiving cancer treatment across the Mid North Coast Local Health District provided overwhelmingly positive feedback for the care they received, as shown in the latest Bureau of Health Information’s (BHI) Outpatient Cancer Clinics Survey.
More than 8,000 patients across the state provided feedback with almost all (99 per cent) rating their overall care as ‘very good’ or ‘good’. This result has been consistently high since 2019 for NSW and is an improvement from last year.
Key feedback received from people accessing local cancer care include:
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88 per cent of patients rated local health professionals as very good
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88 per cent of patients reported the care they received at the clinic as very good
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93 per cent of patients said they would speak highly of the clinic if asked by family and friends.
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97 per cent of patients said they were always treated with respect and dignity, that health professionals were kind and caring
Acting Chief Executive, Jill Wong said it was encouraging to hear such positive feedback, with the District’s cancer teams committed to providing supportive care to people living with cancer.
“The outstanding feedback is coupled with the positive cancer outcomes for our region,” Ms Wong said.
“Breast screening rates for the Mid North Coast are the third highest in the state, annual bowel cancer screening rates are the fourth highest in the state and smoking rates for adults are down to 11 per cent from over 14 per cent in 2018. NSW remains a world leader in cancer control across prevention, screening, treatment and research.”
Professor Tracey O’Brien AM, NSW Chief Cancer Officer and CEO, Cancer Institute NSW thanked cancer patients for taking the time to provide feedback on their care.
“Every 10 minutes someone in NSW is diagnosed with cancer, with one person dying from the disease every half an hour. Our cancer services are among the best in the country and our health system must deliver world-class cancer care in a safe and supportive environment,” Professor O’Brien said.
“I’d like to thank the expert and passionate health professionals working in our state’s cancer services, for supporting people and communities at an extraordinarily challenging time of their lives.
“These survey results highlight our commitment to delivering person-centred care with compassion, respect and dignity. We will continue to work closely with local health districts, cancer centres and clinicians across NSW to ensure that people with cancer have the support they need to navigate the healthcare system.”
The NSW Government invests around $180 million each year, through the Cancer Institute NSW, to improve cancer care in NSW and lessen the impact of cancer on people across the state.
The results of the Bureau of Health Information Outpatient Cancer Clinics Survey 2024 are available at: https://www.bhi.nsw.gov.au/.