Patients who have been treated for cancer or given the all clear at Ipswich Hospital are being invited to share their views about their experiences as part of a survey designed to help improve care.

Anyone who had treatment or investigation for any type of cancer between July and September of last year is being asked to complete the questionnaire, which looks at all aspects of their journey from their first GP appointment onwards.

The survey gives them the chance to give their opinions on how easy it was to get a hospital appointment and understand their diagnosis, as well as whether anything further could be done to provide support.

The results will be used to help improve services for future patients, and will also be fed into the ongoing faster diagnosis pilot, which began in Ipswich in December.

Ipswich is just one of five trusts from across the country taking part in the pioneering project, which aims to give a diagnosis or the all clear to 95% of patients under investigation for gynecological or colorectal cancer within 28 days of their referral.

As part of the scheme, doctors and nurses are working with patient representatives to review the current care pathway and identify any opportunities to speed up the process. Feedback gathered during the survey will be used to help with this work.

Uzoma Ihedoro, Ipswich’s project lead for the 28-day faster cancer diagnosis standard, said: “Taking part in this nationwide trial is giving us a really exciting opportunity to help influence and improve the care which future cancer patients receive.

“This survey is an important part of that. We hope as many people who received care or the all clear at our hospital last summer will take part so that we can gain a true reflection of their experiences and areas where further improvements could be made.

“We will then arrange a workshop to give doctors, nurses, patients, carers and other stakeholders the chance to discuss the findings and look at changes which could be made for the benefit of future patients.”

The survey is available here.

Hard copies are available from the hospital’s Woolverstone Macmillan Cancer Centre.