Cancer patients 'missing out on basics information'

Macmillan Cancer Support has warned that cancer patients are missing out on basic information about their diseases because of staff shortages in the NHS.

The health charity reports that at least 120,000 patients a year felt topics including treatments and side effects were not fully explained, with many people ‘left in the dark’ about how best to prepare.

Although the NHS said satisfaction levels with cancer care were at a record high, the research found that 39 per cent of the 70,000 people interviews by Macmillan Cancer Support said the longer-term side-effects of treatment were not fully explained.

With all participants having undergone cancer treatment in England about their care, the charity said that the figure is likely to equate to about 120,000 patients a year. A quarter of people also said they did not have the possible side effects explained prior to the start of treatment, whilst one in five said there were not always enough nurses on duty to care for them.

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This story was first published in digitalhealth.net

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