The National Prostate Cancer Audit (NPCA) measures the quality and outcomes of care received by people diagnosed with prostate cancer in NHS hospitals in England and Wales. Its findings help patients, clinicians and NHS services understand how prostate cancer care is being delivered and where improvements may be needed.
The NPCA is part of the National Cancer Audit Collaborating Centre (NATCAN) and is commissioned through the national clinical audit programme.
Why the audit matters to patients
The NPCA looks at patterns of diagnosis, treatment and outcomes across England and Wales. It publishes national reports as well as information about individual NHS providers.
This can help patients and the public understand the wider picture of prostate cancer care. Audit results describe groups of patients and services, however, and should not be used on their own to decide which treatment is right for an individual.
Information for patients
NPCA information for patients and the public brings together patient resources, reports and frequently asked questions.
The NPCA also publishes patient-friendly summaries of its national findings. Rather than keeping old copies of these reports on the LPCSG website, we recommend using the NPCA website so that you can access the most recent version.
Results for NHS hospitals
The NPCA publishes provider-level results that allow you to look up an NHS Trust in England or Health Board in Wales and see information about prostate cancer services, care and outcomes.
Differences between hospitals can have many explanations, including differences in the patients treated and the completeness of available data. Provider results should therefore be read together with the NPCA’s explanatory information rather than treated as a simple league table.
LPCSG involvement
LPCSG members Steve Waller and Steve Prust have previously contributed to patient involvement in the National Prostate Cancer Audit. Their participation forms part of the group’s history of helping bring the patient perspective into prostate cancer services and research.
Keeping information current
National audit results are updated as new data become available. For that reason, this page links directly to the NPCA rather than hosting older report and newsletter files that can become outdated.
Visit the National Prostate Cancer Audit website.
NPCA reports describe healthcare at a population and service level. Questions about your own diagnosis, treatment or care should be discussed with your healthcare team.