Improving patient experience and enhancing access to cancer services for people with learning disabilities

Abstract

People with learning disabilities experience inequities in cancer care including diagnosis and treatment delays, less access to services and therapies, and higher mortality. The Cancer Experience of Care Improvement Collaborative (CIC) brings together healthcare professionals, charities and people with lived experience to improve cancer services in a structured way. This article describes a CIC quality improvement project undertaken at two hospital trusts in England with the aim of reducing diagnosis and treatment delays for people with learning disabilities who have cancer. The authors explore the relevant evidence base and discuss how using data from the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey and CIC quality improvement methodology can drive improvements in cancer services based on what matters to people who use these services.