Cancer patients have given Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust (CHFT) its highest ever score in the latest National Cancer Patient Experience Survey, with overall care rated 9.1 out of 10, above the national average of 8.9. 

The results, published by NHS England and based on feedback from patients receiving cancer care during spring 2025, highlight continued improvements across the Trust and recognise the commitment of teams supporting people throughout their cancer journey. 

A total of 353 CHFT patients responded to the survey, representing a 48% response rate, in line with the national average. 

One of the most significant achievements is that, for the first time, CHFT had no survey questions scoring below the expected range. The Trust also achieved results above the expected range in six areas of care, demonstrating performance that exceeded what would typically be expected for a trust of its size. 

Areas performing significantly above expectations included:

• Patients feeling waiting times for diagnostic test results were about right (85% compared with 78% nationally)
• Information about financial help and benefits (84% compared with 71% nationally)
• Support for family members and loved ones to speak with the care team (81% compared with 72% nationally)
• Information provided when leaving hospital (94% compared with 88% nationally)
• Information about hormone therapy (90% compared with 78% nationally)
• Administration of care being rated as good or very good (91% compared with 87% nationally) 

The survey also showed clear improvements in areas identified as priorities following the previous year's results. Scores increased for information provided before diagnostic tests, discussions about patients' needs and concerns before treatment, and the support and information offered between treatment and follow-up appointments. 

Patient comments reflected the high-quality care being delivered by teams across the Trust. The most common positive words used in free-text feedback included "care", "excellent", "caring", "support", "professional", "helpful" and "kind". The report concluded that feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with praise focused on the compassion, professionalism and support provided by staff. 

The Trust will now undertake more detailed analysis of the results, including looking at experiences across different age groups, ethnicities and communities, to better understand and reduce health inequalities. Tumour-specific feedback is also being shared with clinical teams to support local improvements and help ensure excellent patient experience is consistently delivered across all services. 

The National Cancer Patient Experience Survey is one of the largest surveys of its kind and provides valuable insight into how patients experience cancer care across England. In 2025, more than 64,000 patients responded nationally. 

Our Lead Nurse for Cancer Services, Caroline Summers, said: "A cancer journey touches so many teams and departments across our Trust, and these fantastic results are a reflection of the exceptional care, compassion and dedication shown every day by Team CHFT.

"We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone involved in supporting our cancer patients, from our Clinicians, Clinical teams, Cancer Information and Support Services, and hospital wards, to colleagues in Endoscopy, Radiology, Diagnostics, Administration and every other service that plays a part in a patient's journey. Their hard work, commitment and personalised approach to care make a real difference to patients and their families during what can often be an uncertain and challenging time. These results demonstrate the positive impact they have and the high-quality, compassionate care they provide every day and I want to thank them for everything they do to support our patients and for helping to make their experience with CHFT a positive one."

Project Manager, Lucy Beckingham, added: "From diagnosis to treatment, our teams continue to deliver compassionate, high-quality cancer care. Improving on last year's scores demonstrates their commitment to excellence and continuous improvement. Thank you to all our teams for their dedication, hard work, and the difference they make every day."