Thousands of people across Humber and North Yorkshire invited to share their attitudes and understanding of cancer to help shape more inclusive NHS cancer services

Regional survey of over 5,660 residents to be carried out by York St John University on behalf of Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance.

The Institute for Health and Care Improvement (IHCI) at York St John University and Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance are working in partnership with local Healthwatch organisations to undertake the survey. The surveys will focus on contacting residents in North Yorkshire, North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, East Riding, Kingston-Upon-Hull and York. Researchers will use a questionnaire developed by Cancer Research UK, known as the Cancer Awareness Measure (CAM), which contains a validated set of questions designed to reliably assess awareness of cancer. 

The overall Yorkshire and Humber area has a standardised cancer incidence rate of 617 people diagnosed per 100,000 – a rate significantly higher than the England average. Improving cancer awareness among harder to reach communities is a critical step in improving cancer survival rates. The research team wants to gain survey responses from as wide a range of people as possible, including older people, mental health service users, veterans, carers and people from diverse ethnic backgrounds.  

The objectives of the survey are to:  

• Measure the public’s awareness of the symptoms and risk factors of cancer as well as the barriers to seeking help
• Gain a deeper understanding and insight of cancer awareness within the region’s differing communities and populations 
• Benchmark the region’s varied populations in terms of their cancer awareness and understanding of symptoms 

The IHCI was launched in 2023 and aims to influence decision-makers with research and evidence to address health and wellbeing challenges facing today’s society. Taking an interdisciplinary approach to its research in health and social care, the IHCI draws on expertise from across York St John University, whilst working in close collaboration with partners and participants in the community. 

Academics across different disciplines at York St John University are working with IHCI researchers to set up and run the survey, analyse the responses and report on the data findings. They aim to identify key differences in the responses between different groups of residents and also compare regional results to the national data. They will be working closely with the Cancer Alliance to explore any differences and then disseminate the findings.    

The CAM survey findings will support and inform the needs of NHS commissioners and providers and contribute to gaining a more granular understanding of differences in community awareness and understanding of cancer, inclusive of risks, signs, symptoms, and screening. The findings will also inform both internal strategic plans and interventions but also the potential to contribute to NHS providers thinking for future planning of cancer services. This will include targeted support and resources for identified communities. 

Professor Garry Tew, Director of York St John University’s Institute for Health and Care Improvement, said: 

“The IHCI is delighted to be leading the delivery of this survey within the Humber and North Yorkshire region which will measure the public’s cancer awareness, attitudes and behaviours across key cancer topics. The results of this survey will support the development of cancer prevention and early diagnosis initiatives. This work highlights the growing success of the IHCI as it continues to develop and collaborate with key partners across the health landscape.” 

Lucy Turner, Managing Director, Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance, said:  

“Humber and North Yorkshire is an area with a diverse geography and significant variance in cancer diagnosis between different population groups. Understanding the challenges and barriers to early diagnosis within all the communities in Humber and North Yorkshire in an inclusive way is a key priority for the Cancer Alliance.  

“The previous Cancer Awareness Measures survey was conducted in 2010 across a smaller geography, so the Cancer Alliance wanted to commission a new survey to better understand the needs of our varied populations.  

“The Cancer Alliance intends to use the findings and learning from the survey to inform and direct both internal strategic plans and interventions but also the potential to contribute to NHS providers thinking for future planning of cancer services.”  

Carrie Duran, Head of Health and Care Programmes at Hull Community and Voluntary Services, added: 

“Healthwatch teams across the Humber and North Yorkshire region are delighted to be taking part in the cancer awareness measurement survey. Our role within this project is to work closely with those who traditionally may not engage with this kind of research, and often experience poorer health outcomes due to lack of understanding of cancer symptoms and late diagnosis. By gathering vital insights from some of our most disadvantaged communities, we aim to contribute to improved equity in cancer services across the region.” 

The research begins in October 2024 and the results are due to be published in March 2025.  

Find out more about the survey and the work of the Institute for Health and Care Improvement 

Take part in the survey at https://bit.ly/47MwBkg