Understanding what matters to patients
Quality of life means different things to different people, but it matters to everyone.
More people are surviving cancer than ever before. Living with cancer, and the effects of treatment, can have an impact on a person’s physical, emotional, and social wellbeing.
NHS England launched the Cancer Quality of Life Survey (QoL) in September 2020 to help us:
- understand what matters to patients
- find out how quality of life may have changed for people diagnosed with cancer
- see where care is working well or not so well, and if any new services are needed.
The survey takes between five and ten minutes to complete and is completely optional.
We would like as many people as possible to complete their survey. This will help us to work out what matters most to those living in Kent and Medway.
A patient will receive the Cancer Quality of Life Survey from NHS England around 18 months after their diagnosis.
The survey takes between five and ten minutes to complete and is completely optional.
It can be completed electronically via the website, by post or by telephone.
It is available in 12 languages or large print.
There is a free helpline 0800 783 1775 to support patients to complete the survey and respond to any queries or difficulties.
Having completed the survey, patients will be able to print off their own Quality of Life report as a summary and use it for discussions with healthcare professionals (or other supporters) about their needs and areas where they are struggling.
National and regional-level reports will be made available through the Cancer Data website.
Providers and commissioners can compare results by age, ethnic group, area of the country and type of cancer.
