Cancer nursing workforce needs support and investment urgently

Government action is needed to tackle low healthcare staff morale and a ten-year high quit rate, which is having repercussions on the cancer patient experience

The latest results of the National Cancer Patient Experience survey, which asks people about the care they received in 2022, made some enlightening, as well as sometimes difficult, reading.

Of 61,268 people who responded, just 78% said the amount of time they waited for their test results was okay and the same percentage said their results were explained in a way that they could fully understand.

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A total of 70% said they were involved in decisions about their care when staying in hospital and and just 64% said they could talk to hospital staff about their worries if needed.

Worryingly, only 59% said the potential long-term effects of treatment were explained in a way they could understand.

Quit rate of cancer nurses is at a ten-year high

In our news story Cancer nurses at breaking point as quit rate hits ten-year high, Macmillan chief nursing officer Claire Taylor called for urgent action from government to boost nurse numbers in cancer care, warning that personalised care is being compromised.

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The charity’s analysis of NHS figures has revealed that the quit-rate of healthcare staff is at a ten-year high, while waiting times for NHS patients are entering their tenth year of decline.

The timing of her message is crucial. The workforce needs to be supported, protected and grown if the well-being and morale of staff is to remain intact to be able to offer patients personalised care.

Inspirational figures in 75 years of the NHS

Personalising care and explaining treatment and potential effects are vital for improving outcomes, particularly to help alleviate symptoms for the estimated one in three people with a diagnosis who experience anxiety and depression as our analysis Living with cancer and its consequences for mental health underlines.

Nevertheless, there are many achievements for nurses to celebrate. This year marks the NHS turning 75 and in our celebratory feature Nurses who inspired us: role models and mentors we won’t forget, nurses reflect on the people who have inspired them in their careers.

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They remind us that despite all the challenges, nurses are the essential champions of patient care that is accessible to all; we need to continue championing the fundamentals of nursing care to protect our NHS for the next 75 years and beyond.

Jennifer Sprinks is editor of Cancer Nursing Practice and co-editor of Nursing Management