Scottish Radiotherapy Patient Experience Survey 2014: National Results: Volume 1

8 RESULTS: INFORMATION ABOUT SUPPORT

Summary

8.1 Of those patients who said they would have liked information about support or self-help groups, 17% said that they didn't get it. Of those patients who did get information, the biggest proportion (39%) were given information about general cancer support groups in their area.

Detailed results

8.2 This section looked at the support information patients were given and whether or not it was helpful. This included whether or not people were given this information and if they wanted it; and what type of information was given.

Table 6 Summary of the results to questions about support information

Note: percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

8.3 Most people answered positively:

• Of those patients who said they would have liked information about support or self-help groups, 83% said that they got it, and 17% that they didn't (chart 9). 13% of patients said that they wouldn't have wanted this information; 21% said that it wasn't necessary as they already had this information.
• 39% of patients who said they were given such information were given information about general support groups in their area. Smaller numbers were given information about other types of groups: 14% said they were given information about support groups for their specific type of cancer in their area; 14% said they were given information about national charities; 6% said that they were given information about other groups.

Chart 9 Information about support or self-help groups (%)

Variation between centres

8.4 There was considerable variation in the scores for information about support or self-help groups. Scores ranged from 78% to 92% positive, with Department of Clinical Oncology (Inverness) doing particularly well.