Proposed cost cutting
by the NHS could jeopardise the level of trust between patients and doctors.
University of Leicester researcher professor Paul Symonds warned that any
changes would need to be thoroughly thought out before they were implemented.
He highlighted the importance of trust in cancer treatment and said it was
"widely accepted" that low trust levels could influence the outcome
of any course of medication.
"As we enter an age of austerity we must do our best to preserve this very
high level of trust among cancer patients," he added.
Professor Symonds assessed 279 patients who received treatment at the
Leicestershire Cancer Centre between 2007 and 2010 and found that doctors can
increase a patient's confidence by improving their understanding of the
illness.
A recent poll by the Guardian found that four out of five doctors believed the
level of care offered by the NHS suffered due to budgetary constraints during
the course of last year.
NHS private treatment news : 19 January 2012
