People receiving cancer treatment across Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) have provided overwhelmingly positive feedback for the care they received in the latest Bureau of Health Information’s (BHI) Outpatient Cancer Clinics Survey.

More than 8,000 patients from across the state provided feedback with almost all (99 per cent) rating their overall care as ‘very good’ or ‘good’. This result has been consistently high since 2019 for NSW and is an improvement from last year.

Key feedback received from people accessing cancer care in Northern NSW Local Health District include:

• 99 per cent of patients rated their overall care as ‘very good’ or ‘good’
• 99 per cent of patients rated the health professionals who treated them as ‘very good’ or ‘good’
• 95 per cent said they ‘definitely’ received safe, high-quality care from the clinic
• 97 per cent agreed that the health professionals were kind and caring
• 95 per cent agreed that reception staff were polite and welcoming

Overall, NNSWLHD results showed significant improvements across three measures compared to the 2023 survey, while individual clinic sites Grafton, Lismore and Tweed all recorded between 3 and 9 measures that were significantly improved compared to 2023.

Lismore Base Hospital recorded 8 out of 9 surveyed questions 90% or above, with 'Always treated with respect and dignity' rating 99%. The only question to score below 90% (86%) was 'Rated how health professionals worked together as very good'.

NNSWLHD Chief Executive Tracey Maisey said it’s encouraging to hear such positive feedback, with the District’s cancer teams committed to providing supportive care to people living with cancer.

“Our teams are focussed on providing a caring and compassionate experience for patients and their loved ones attending our cancer clinics,” Ms Maisey said.

“It’s wonderful to know that patients are feeling supported during their care, and that they are treated with the dignity and kindness they deserve.

“With the new Integrated Cancer Care Service now at the Tweed Valley Hospital, we look forward to continuing to provide excellent care in the new setting, and delivering expanded services such as radiotherapy closer to home for more patients.”

Professor Tracey O’Brien AM, NSW Chief Cancer Officer and CEO, Cancer Institute NSW thanked cancer patients for taking the time to provide feedback on their care.

“Every 10 minutes, someone in NSW is diagnosed with cancer, with one person dying from the disease every half an hour. Our cancer services are among the best in the country and it’s imperative our health system delivers world-class cancer care, in a safe and supportive environment,” Professor O’Brien said.

“I’d like to thank the expert and passionate health professionals working in our state’s cancer services for supporting people and communities at an extraordinarily challenging time of their lives.

“These survey results highlight our commitment to delivering person-centred care with compassion, respect and dignity. We will continue to work closely with local health districts, cancer centres and clinicians across NSW to ensure that people with cancer have the support they need to navigatethe healthcare system.”

The NSW Government invests around $180 million each year through the Cancer Institute NSW to improve cancer care in NSW and lessen the impact of cancer on people across the state.

The results of the Bureau of Health Information Outpatient Cancer Clinics Survey 2024 are available at: https://www.bhi.nsw.gov.au/.