Quality of cancer care has increased since Reform Strategy published in 2007

• Improving the quality of information
• Strengthening commissioning
• Making better use of resources

The Department conducted ample research through establishment of a national baseline on levels of cancer awareness and a Cancer Patient Experience Survey. The survey response totaled 67,000 patients and the report found increased participation and data completeness in the five national clinical audits for cancer as a result.

High quality information is essential to be able to commission services successfully and to monitor performance. Some information on cancer has improved, but significant gaps still remain.

The National Audit Office (NAO) discussed that gaps in cancer information still remain; namely, data on how advanced patients’ cancers have become at diagnosis time limit comprehension of variations in outcomes and the most effective action to take.

The NAO estimates that cancer cost the National Health Service (NHS) approximately £6.3 billion in 2008-09, but suggests that it is not clear if the implementation of the Strategy is achieving value for money.

Reported spending on cancer care varied between Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) in 2008-09 - from £55 to £154 per head - which is consistent with the unexplained variation in spending from year to year. However, significant reductions have been made in the number of days cancer patients spend in hospital - largely as a result of increasingly treating patients as day cases.

The Strategy aimed to minimise emergency admissions for cancer patients, but these are still increasing, with wide variations between PCTs and poor understanding of the reasons for those variations.

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