Cancer patients praise care at Wirral University Teaching Hospital in national survey

Cancer patients have praised the care they receive at Wirral University Teaching Hospital (WUTH), with the latest national survey showing positive experiences across the cancer pathway and improvements in 29 areas.

The 2025 National Cancer Patient Experience Survey gathered feedback from people receiving NHS cancer care across England about their experiences of diagnosis, treatment and support.

The annual survey provides an important opportunity for patients to share their experiences and helps NHS organisations understand what is working well and where improvements can be made.

At WUTH, 210 cancer patients who received treatment between April and June 2025 took part, with the results highlighting high levels of patient confidence and satisfaction across many aspects of cancer care.

Patients reported particularly positive experiences of being treated with dignity and respect, having a named point of contact in their care team and receiving relevant information about the support available to them.

Among the results, 85% of patients said the length of time they waited for diagnostic test results felt about right, which was above the national average.

A further 91% said the time they waited at a clinic or day unit for cancer treatment was ‘about right’, compared with a national average of 80% and placing WUTH above the expected range.

Compared with the previous year, WUTH improved its results across 29 areas of the survey, with four areas which had previously scored more than five percentage points below the national average showing significant improvement.

There were also strong results across individual cancer services. Breast, Colorectal, Haematology, Prostate, Skin and Urology services each achieved 100% positive responses across a combined 14 individual survey questions, reflecting the quality, expertise and patient centred care delivered by clinical teams.

Overall, patients gave their cancer care at WUTH an average rating of 8.9 out of 10.

One patient who commented in the survey, said: “The staff at every part of my care treated me so well and couldn't do enough to make my journey the best it could be. Everything ran like a well-oiled machine and at no point did I feel as if I was alone or not being cared for.”

Another patient said: “From my very first appointment, I was treated exceptionally. I couldn’t fault anything, from beginning to end. I was so lucky to receive this fantastic care.”

Julie Morrish, Lead Cancer Nurse at WUTH, said: “The National Cancer Patient Experience Survey provides invaluable insight into what matters most to patients and their families.

“It is encouraging to see these excellent results, which reflect the commitment and professionalism of our cancer teams and the wider healthcare teams who support patients throughout their cancer journey.

“Listening to our patients is at the heart of everything we do, so it is particularly rewarding to see positive results in areas we have focused on. This shows that we are listening to patients, responding to their feedback and making changes that have a meaningful impact on their experience.”

Janelle Holmes, Chief Executive at WUTH, said: “These results are a fantastic reflection of the compassionate, high-quality care our teams provide to patients at what can be an incredibly difficult time in their lives.

“I’m pleased to see improvement across so many areas and would like to thank our patients for sharing their experiences and our colleagues for their continued commitment to providing the very best care.”

The National Cancer Patient Experience Survey is carried out annually to understand the experiences of people receiving cancer care across England. WUTH will use the findings and feedback from patients to continue improving cancer services across the Trust.