Scottish Cancer Patient Experience Survey 2015/16

Home Care and Support

Both during and after treatment most patients will require help and support at home from family and friends. For others to help with cancer patients' care, adequate information is needed.

Similarly, many patients will need to access health and social care services (such as district nurses, home helps, and physiotherapists) both during and after treatment. Feeling adequately supported and cared for by these services is vital for both a positive care experience while in hospital and for the transition out of the hospital care setting.

Information to family and friends to help care for patient at home

Patients were asked whether doctors or nurses gave their family or someone close to them all the information they needed to help care for the patient at home.

Sixteen per cent of patients responded that either there were no family or friends involved, or their family of friends did not need information.

Of the patients that did want their family or friends to have information to help care for them, one in five (20%) reported that doctors or nurses did not provide this. A further 23 per cent of patients responded that this information was only received 'to some extent' (Table 43).

Table 43: Information to family and friends to help care for patient at home

Patients with breast tumours (50%) were statistically below the all-cancer average in reporting that doctors had given someone close to them the information they needed to care for the patient at home. Patients with haematological and upper gastrointestinal tumours (both 65%) were statistically above average (Figure 35).

Figure 35: % reporting information provided to family and friends to help care for patient at home, by tumour group

Support from health and social services during treatment

Patients were asked whether they were given enough support from health or social services during their cancer treatment. Forty-two per cent of patients responded that they did not need such support.

Of those patients that did need it, a quarter (25%) reported that they did not receive enough support during their treatment. A further 21 per cent of patients only responded that they received enough support 'to some extent' (Table 44).

Table 44: Support from health and social services during treatment

The only tumour group statistically below the all-cancer average for this question was patients with gynaecological tumours (41%) (Figure 36).

Figure 36: % receiving enough support from health or social services during treatment, by tumour group

Support from health and social services after treatment

Patients were also asked whether they were given enough support from health or social services after their cancer treatment.

Over half of patients (54%) responded either that they did not need support, or they were still receiving treatment.

Of those that did need it, around a third of patients (32%) reported that they did not receive enough care and support after their treatment. A further 23 per cent of patients only responded that they received enough support 'to some extent' (Table 45). These results are less positive than those for the question regarding care and support during treatment.

Table 45: Support from health and social services after treatment

Figure 37: % receiving enough care and support from health or social services after treatment, by tumour group

Patients with colorectal / lower gastrointestinal, head and neck, and upper gastrointestinal tumours were all statistically above the all cancer average for receiving enough care and support from health or social services (all had 55% responding 'yes definitely') (Figure 37)