NHS bosses hope more cancer cases will be spotted early, improving survival rates.
All GP practices in England will be able to book cancer tests directly for their patients from later this month, NHS bosses say.
NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard will announce later all GPs will now be able to do this.Before referring, they have to identify clear symptoms the patient may have a specific type of cancer.Patients with less clear symptoms face long waits for check-ups or are diagnosed only after presenting at an accident-and-emergency unit or being referred to hospital for something else.
The fact most patients ready to leave hospital cannot because of a lack of care in the community is cited as one of the key reasons for long waits in other parts of the hospital, including A&E.
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