Cancer quality of life survey

The Cancer Quality of Life Survey is a national survey run by NHS England. The survey launched in September 2020 and was rolled out to all patients with an included cancer type in October 2021. Each month, the survey invites all people in England who are 18 months post diagnosis of one of the included cancer types, to respond to a questionnaire assessing their quality of life. Potential survey participants are identified by the National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) NDRS, who also collect and analyse participants responses to the survey.

By measuring, capturing, collecting and tracking this data over time, NHS England and wider health system is able to monitor and target improvements in quality of life for those living with the impact of cancer and its treatment. Outputs from the survey are used to inform the development and targeting of interventions that further improve outcomes for patients.

This is the data reporting site for the Cancer Quality of Life Survey. For general information about the survey, please visit the Cancer Quality of Life survey website.

The Cancer Quality of Life Survey is a national survey run by NHS England. People who have had a cancer diagnosis are being asked to complete the survey round 18 months after diagnosis.

With the survey, the NHS has begun for the first time, routinely measuring quality of life outcomes at a whole-system level, and in a way that influences health policy, professional practice and patient empowerment.

Information from the survey is one of a range of resources that will be used to work out where improvements should be made to care, with the goal of improving quality of life for people diagnosed with cancer.

The survey is made up of two questionnaires that measure overall health (EQ-5D) and quality of life (EORTC QLQ-C30).

EQ-5D can be used for any patient group and the general population. We use this questionnaire to compare scores from the cancer survey respondents and the general population, and between different groups of cancer survey respondents.

The EORTC QLQ-C30 is a cancer specific questionnaire. We use this questionnaire to report scores from the cancer survey respondents overall, and to compare different groups of cancer survey respondents.

This dashboard allows users to compare overall health and quality of life scores for patients across different areas of England, with different cancer types, and across a range of different patient factor groups, like age group, gender and ethnic groups.

Acknowledgement

This work uses data that has been provided by patients. The quality of life information has been provided in response to survey invites. Invitations to complete the survey and other data are based on information collected by the NHS as part of the care and support of cancer patients. This information is collated, maintained and quality assured by the National Disease Registration Service (NDRS), which is part of NHS England.

The ultimate aim of the QoL Survey  is to measure and report on quality of life at scale, with comprehensive coverage for cancer patients. This will emphasise the importance of focusing on what matters to individuals and is part of the NHS’s wider commitment to enable people to have more control over their own health and receive more personalised care when they need it.

NHS England works with Quality Health to send out the survey invitations each month and to collect responses to the survey. 

Updates to the dashboard include the addition of new tranches of completed surveys and are processed roughly every 6 months.

The tool is produced by the National Disease Registration Service (NDRS). Please send any feedback or queries to [email protected] 

Please do not include sensitive or patient identifiable information.

To access the data used in the dashboard, please refer to the 'download data' tab within the dashboard.