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Confidence in the Healthcare System

Many Cancer Insights Panel* members reported feelings of confidence and trust in the healthcare system, however, some panel members highlighted this as a potential area of improvement during, and after, an experience of cancer.1 

Commenting on their own experiences and the experiences of people they know that have been affected by cancer, the insights broadly aligned to:1
 

Their confidence during diagnosis and treatment
Their confidence post-treatment

Below are the panel members’ insights regarding confidence in the healthcare system during an experience of cancer and their asks moving forward.

Meet Alan, cancer patient, who describes his involvement with the cancer community and his motivations for joining the Cancer Insights Panel

Confidence during diagnosis and treatment

What the panel members said…1

What patients are asking for…1

Tab Number 3

  • “My heart always sinks when I have to get in touch with oncology because either there is no answer or, if you leave a message, no one gets back to you. Even e-mails are unanswered.” – patient, metastatic breast cancer
  • “Out of hours support for cancer patients is sadly not there unless they are faced with sepsis.” – carer, bowel cancer
  • “No real tie up between oncologist and GP; I need to ask for everything. Some things are GP domain, others oncology, but they never tell me which. It’s hard to see my GP. [I have a] different oncologist with every blood test – it’s never face-to-face anymore since COVID, which does not help.” – patient, prostate cancer
  • “It’s exhausting to have to keep repeating myself and explaining my limitations due to my visual impairment.” – patient
  • “After changing GPs, my new GP has had no record of my previous treatment. This seems a huge oversight. To have access to one’s own health data and health history would be empowering.” – patient, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
Confidence in getting the information they need
  • The panel members shared a number of examples where medical questions had gone unanswered. Examples were experienced in face-to-face consultations and when contacting the healthcare team remotely. 
  • Insights indicate this pain point could be eased through improved lines of communication with the healthcare team, including assurance that concerns/requests for information have been heard and actioned. For most patients, especially those who are particularly unwell with their cancer, they don’t want to have to chase for answers.
A more joined up healthcare system
  • Some panel members identified better communication across the healthcare system as a way to improve their confidence in the care provided. With better communication, it's hoped patients won't have to repeat information about their cancer or needs, and they will be given appropriate and continuous care. 
  • The panel members noted that sometimes there are differences in ways of working across NHS Trusts, which highlights the need for clearer dialogue between HCPs to ensure care is as consistent as possible and/or any unavoidable inconsistencies are acknowledged, so they don’t come as a surprise to the patient.

Confidence post-treatment

What the panel members said…1

What patients are asking for…1

  •  “GPs should have more understanding of post-treatment worries & concerns” – patient, bowel cancer
  • “Unclear at this stage (post-treatment) who to go to with any questions or fears – back to GP/CNS or third sector – e.g. Maggie’s? Breast Cancer Now?” – patient, breast cancer
  • “The majority of people feel they didn’t get enough information
    about issues experienced after treatment” – patient colorectal
  • “There should be an after treatment support service to take away pressure from clinical teams” – patient, bowel cancer
  • “No real information on risk of the cancer returning or how you
    can access Oncology when discharged” – patient, metastatic breast cancer
More support and information after treatment has ended 
  • Many panel members identified a feeling of ‘drop off’ for patients after treatment has ended. Therefore, any way in which this void could be filled would be appreciated – such as signposting to useful resources and or providing contact details for support organisations.
  • The need for a point of contact or place for support during this post-treatment phase came through strongly from the experiences shared by the panel members. 
More trust in their GPs
  • It was noted that when people finish cancer treatment, often their main point of contact is their GP. However, some panel members voiced concerns with GPs’ understanding of post-cancer treatment concerns – stating they would prefer to have Oncology as their main point of contact post-treatment because they better understand the cancer experience. 
  • This pain point highlights importance of communication and compassion to address post-treatment concerns and improve GP-patient relationships.
Confidence in the Healthcare System (PDF download) 

Download a one-page summary of the Cancer Insights Panel's commentary and key takeaways surrounding confidence in the healthcare system during an experience of cancer

 Download PDFLoading

Explore More

 Mental Health

Insights surrounding patients' mental health during an experience of cancer 

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Insights surrounding patients' wellbeing during an experience of cancer

Read MoreLoadingCancer Insights Panel

*The Cancer Insights Panel is a Pfizer initiative developed to gather the perspectives of people impacted by cancer. The first panel, which ran between June 2022 and January 2024, was formed of 30 people who were carefully selected based on their ability to share the needs and voices of a range of people affected by cancer, including patients and carers alike.  This resource has been developed based on insights shared by panel members. Pfizer has reviewed and compiled these insights, to identify potential areas for improvement during an experience of cancer. potential areas for improvement during an experience of cancer. All panel members have consented to the sharing of their contributions. Direct quotes from panel members are presented in quotation marks.

Reference: 

Pfizer Ltd. Data on file. REF-UNP27004.
PP-UNP-GBR-8327. October 2024

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