Lifting up the voices of people in Stockton-on-Tees

Healthwatch Stockton-on-Tees engaged with 71 people across Tees Valley to hear their experiences of cancer care. Using a combination of case studies, focus groups, and visits to community groups, we created safe spaces where individuals could share their stories in their own words. This approach enabled us to gather rich insight into the emotional, practical, and systemic challenges people face throughout their cancer journey.

People told us about the difficulties of accessing timely GP appointments, delays in receiving referrals, and the lack of emotional support once treatment had ended. Many described feeling unsure where to turn for help after discharge, highlighting gaps in continuity of care. Other recurring themes included variation in staffing levels, the loss of fast-track counselling services, and inequitable access to financial support during treatment and recovery.

Our role was to listen, collate, and present this lived experience to local system partners. All feedback was anonymised and shared with NHS Trusts and the Integrated Care Board to ensure patient voices shaped ongoing discussions about service improvement. By bringing these experiences together, we helped highlight where the system is working well, and where change is needed to ensure compassionate, timely, and equitable cancer care for everyone.

Through a series of patient stories and lived-experience accounts, we captured what fast-track cancer pathways and post-treatment support feel like in practice. These insights showed a mixed picture: many people praised the speed and efficiency of their initial diagnosis, while also describing the emotional shock, anxiety, and practical barriers that followed once treatment ended.

One case study involved a woman diagnosed through routine screening who moved quickly into surgery and radiotherapy. While she felt grateful for the rapid response, she later faced long waits for counselling and psychological support, leaving her to manage the emotional impact of cancer largely on her own.

Another individual shared how radiotherapy had caused serious dental complications, resulting in the need for implants and significant unexpected costs. This created financial pressure at a time when they were already navigating the challenges of recovery.

These stories highlight clear gaps in continuity of care, emotional support, and access to specialist services after treatment. Our role was to bring these experiences together and present them clearly to system partners, ensuring they had real-world evidence to review pathways, identify inconsistencies, and consider service improvements.

Feedback from staff highlighted a range of pressures affecting cancer support services, including contract uncertainty, increasing workloads, and noticeable variation in the support available across different sites. Many spoke about inconsistent access to hardship funds, growing demand for fast-track cancer pathways, and the difficulty of retaining experienced staff in an already stretched system.

Participants also raised concerns about differences in staffing levels within the same Trust, which can lead to variation in patient experience and questions around equity of care. These insights made it clear that workforce stability and consistent support structures are essential for both staff wellbeing and service quality.

Our engagement work provided a safe and trusted platform for these issues to be voiced and shared directly with system leaders. We emphasised the importance of workforce development, structured training, and improved staff support, aligning this with national frameworks such as ACCEND, which aim to strengthen cancer care roles and career pathways.

By collating and presenting these insights, we supported conversations about embedding clear values, improving team cohesion, and fostering a culture where staff feel equipped, supported, and valued in their roles.

We compiled and presented the Patient Voice to the Integrated Care Board and hospital leadership, ensuring that lived experience directly informed strategic discussions. Our report highlighted several key areas for improvement, including the need for stronger mental health support, better transport access, and improved coordination between hospitals and primary care.

Partners acknowledged the insights as valuable in shaping future plans and priorities, reinforcing the role of Healthwatch as a vital bridge between communities and decision-makers. By bringing together clear evidence, real stories, and practical recommendations, we enabled constructive, evidence-based dialogue across the system.

Supporting information included anonymised feedback, a thematic analysis of emerging issues, and links to collaborative responses from the ICB and NHS Trusts, demonstrating how patient experiences continue to drive improvement across cancer care pathways.