Scottish Cancer Patient Experience Survey 2024: Support and Information for People Receiving Cancer Care

Background and policy context

This report presents additional analysis of the Scottish Cancer Patient Experience Survey 2024.

The Scottish Government published the Cancer Strategy for Scotland 2023-2033 along with a three year Cancer Action Plan for Scotland 2023 – 2026 on 15 June 2023. The Action Plan states that, with Macmillan Cancer Support, Scottish Government will complete the Scottish Cancer Patient Experience Survey by March 2026. The survey results help us to better understand people’s experience of cancer care in Scotland from the perspective of the patient and provides information that can drive improvement.

In September 2024 overall findings of Scottish Cancer Patient Experience Survey 2024 were published. This report uses those same data to explore differences in the patients’ overall experience of cancer care, appointments, information received on cancer and treatments, and wider support, based on cancer type, individual characteristics (age group, employment status, whether they have long-term conditions or not) and characteristics of where they live (level of deprivation and how urban or rural such place is). The aim of this work is to better understand key aspects of patient experience. This information will help Health Boards and wider partners to plan, configure and improve local services. In turn, it will support us to collectively deliver the strategic aim of improved cancer survival and excellent, equitably accessible care.