The Christie ranks highly in two national surveys

The Christie

Specialist cancer centre The Christie in Manchester has received excellent results in two national surveys for its treatment and care of cancer patients.

The 2016 Adult Inpatient Survey, published by the independent health regulator the Care Quality Commission (CQC), identified The Christie as performing ‘much better than expected’ compared to other trusts.

And results from the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey 2016 have shown that patients rated The Christie higher than would be expected for trusts of the same size in certain areas including: having confidence and trust in all ward nurses and in all doctors treating them, always/nearly always enough nurses on duty, being able to discuss worries or fears with staff during their visit and being given clear information about what they should/should not do post discharge.

Patients also rated The Christie higher than the national average in a number of additional questions including: always being treated with respect and dignity by staff, length of time waiting for the test to be done was about right, hospital staff gave information about the impact cancer could have on day to day activities, hospital staff telling patients they can get free prescriptions, and groups of doctors and nurses didn’t talk in front of patient as if they were not there.

The National Cancer Patient Experience Survey has been designed to monitor national progress annually on cancer care; to provide information to drive local quality improvements; to assist commissioners and providers of cancer care; and to inform the work of the various charities and stakeholder groups supporting cancer patients. The survey was conducted by Quality Health, on behalf of NHS England.

Jackie Bird, director of nursing and quality at The Christie, said: “Many of the results we have received are very good and it is extremely positive to see that we are exceeding the expectation for trusts of our size in many areas. It is important to note that the survey refers to the complete patient pathway, including treatment at GP surgeries and local hospitals, it does not refer solely to The Christie.

“While we are pleased with the areas we have excelled in, we are always looking at ways to enhance the patient experience and so will be working to improve and develop our services for patients to ensure they receive the very best care and treatment across the board.”

The initial results of the 2016 Adult Inpatient Survey, in which the CQC asked nearly 78,000 inpatients around the country about their care in hospital, were released in May but the regulator published a separate report which focused on variation in results at trust level.

The Christie was identified as performing ‘much better than expected’ compared with other trusts because a higher proportion of patients responded positively about the care they had received. It has already been rated ‘outstanding’ by the CQC.

The 14th survey of adult inpatients involved 149 acute and specialist NHS trusts and asked patients for their views on aspects of their care, such as whether they felt they were treated with dignity and respect and whether they had confidence in staff.

Patients at The Christie gave the most positive answers to questions, across the whole survey, more frequently than the England average (68%).

The CQC used an analysis technique called the 'expected range' to determine if a trust was performing 'about the same', 'better' or 'worse' compared with other trusts.

The Christie was rated ‘better than expected’ in all 10 overall sections that applied to it including waiting lists and planned admissions, the hospital and ward, care and treatment, and overall experience.

It equalled the highest score for any trust for questions about being told who to contact if a patient was worried about their condition or treatment after they left hospital, and for feeling they were treated with dignity and respect.

Patients were eligible for the survey if they were aged 16 or older, had spent at least one night in hospital and were not admitted to maternity or psychiatric units. Trusts sampled patients discharged during July 2016.

The Christie NHS Foundation Trust has been ranked ‘Outstanding’ by the health regulator the Care Quality Commission which referred to it as ‘exceptional’ and ‘a leader in its field’. It not only commended the Trust for its effectiveness and care, but highlighted its work in shaping the future of cancer care and noted the reach and influence of its clinical research projects. The CQC has also rated The Christie the best specialist trust in the country, and one of the top three trusts over all in England.