People who have been treated for cancer at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust have once again rated their care and experience among the best in the country, with the organisation recording no areas of care that performed below the expected national standard.
The results of the latest National Cancer Patient Experience Survey 2025 show that Torbay and South Devon achieved more than 20 scores that were significantly higher than expected when compared with similar organisations across England. These included areas such as communication, information sharing, emotional support, care planning and access to key cancer professionals.
The survey, which is overseen by a National Cancer Patient Experience Advisory Group and commissioned by NHS England, involved 130 NHS trusts across England.
Nationally, more than 64,000 people responded to the survey, including 493 people who received cancer-related treatment at Torbay and South Devon from April to June 2025. This represented a 60% response rate, significantly higher than the national response rate of 48%.
Patients continued to rate their overall care highly, giving the Trust an average score of 9.1 out of 10. In addition, 91% of respondents said the whole care team worked well together and 91% rated the administration of their care as good or very good.
People were particularly positive about the information and support they received when they were told they had cancer, and during their treatment; ninety-six per cent said they received all the information they needed before diagnostic tests, while 95% said they had a main point of contact within their care team. Eighty-nine per cent of respondents said they found it easy to contact that person and 97% found their advice helpful.
Patients also highlighted the quality of personalised care they received. Ninety-seven per cent of respondents said someone helped them create a care plan, 99% said their care plan was reviewed and kept up to date, and 95% said staff provided them with relevant information about available support services.
The survey also found that 92% of patients felt they were treated with respect and dignity in hospital, while 87% said they were able to discuss worries and fears with staff when receiving outpatient treatment.
Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust’s Chief Nurse, Nicola McMinn, said: “We are delighted that our patients continue to tell us they receive such high-quality cancer care and support. A cancer diagnosis can be one of the most challenging times in a person’s life, so it is incredibly rewarding to see patients recognise the compassion, professionalism and dedication shown by our teams every day.
“These results reflect the commitment of colleagues across our cancer services and the wider organisation who work tirelessly to ensure people feel informed, supported and involved in decisions about their care. We are particularly pleased that we recorded no areas performing below the expected national standard and that so many aspects of our service were rated significantly above expectations.
“We are committed to learning from our patients and using their feedback to continually improve. While there is much to celebrate, we know there are opportunities to strengthen support for people once they leave hospital and we will continue to work closely with our partners across primary care and the community to enhance the experience patients receive throughout their cancer journey.”
The full report for Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust is available on the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey website
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