Over 64,000 cancer patients have delivered a clear verdict on their NHS care. The 2025 National Cancer Patient Experience Survey, published on 16 July 2026, shows an average rating of 8.92 out of 10. That score holds steady from the previous year even as the service handles record volumes of checks and treatments.
NHS cancer checks hit nearly 3.4 million in the latest year. The figure has more than doubled over the past decade. In the year to May 2026 teams began almost 700,000 treatments, close to 2,000 every day. These numbers expose the scale of demand now placed on clinical teams.
Yet patients report consistent strengths in the basics that matter most during frightening diagnoses. 91.4 percent said they had a main point of contact in their care team. Of those, 95.6 percent found the advice helpful. More than 90 percent received all the information they needed before diagnostic tests. And 94.6 percent were always given enough privacy when results were delivered.
Small but measurable gains appeared in two areas long flagged for attention. The share of patients receiving clear information after leaving hospital rose from 87.3 percent to 88.4 percent. The proportion who said someone close to them could speak to the hospital team increased from 70.8 percent to 72.1 percent. These shifts suggest quiet progress in recognising the role of families.
The survey has run every year since 2010. Its purpose remains practical: to show NHS organisations where care works well and where it falls short. The latest data arrives at a moment when record activity makes every point of contact count.
Professor Peter Johnson, NHS National Clinical Director for Cancer, said that NHS teams are seeing and treating record numbers of patients for cancer and that it is hugely encouraging that patients continue to rate their care nearly 9 out of 10, noting that being diagnosed with cancer is incredibly difficult and that the results are testament to staff who ensure patients receive clear information, have their privacy respected and know there is someone they can turn to, while stating that there is more that can be done to ensure every patient receives the same high-quality experience and that the National Cancer Plan will see every patient receiving personalised support before, during and after treatment.
