New cancer care improvement plans outlined by NHS England

NHS England has announced a number of new measures that aim to improve cancer care standards nationwide, ensuring patients receive a world-class service.

The National Cancer Transformation Board has published a wide-ranging plan to increase prevention, speed up diagnosis and improve the experience of patients and those living beyond cancer.

An initial 15 million pounds will be spent to create a National Diagnostics Capacity Fund to test initiatives to increase capacity and productivity of diagnostic services, while also trialling new multidisciplinary diagnostic centres over the next two years.

Efforts will also be made to test the new Faster Diagnosis Standard, which has been piloted in five local health communities and aims to help patients referred for testing by a GP to be definitively diagnosed within four weeks.

Future initiatives will focus on upgrading radiotherapy equipment, improving the supply of sonographers, radiographers and radiologists, and offering more tailored support and services for patients.

Public health minister Jane Ellison said: "It is really important that this plan helps deliver the independent Cancer Taskforce strategy, which this government has firmly backed to improve cancer services across the country."