Women to self-refer for life-saving breast cancer scans without going to the GP first under new fast-track scheme
WOMEN could refer themselves for breast cancer scans under plans to slash NHS delays.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the standard process of booking a GP appointment to get a hospital referral is a “waste of everyone’s time”.
He said women with worrying lumps should be able to book into scan clinics directly through the NHS app or 111 phone line and website.
The fast-track system will be trialled in Somerset from November before a possible national rollout.
Breast cancer is the most common type of the disease in Britain with 57,000 cases per year.
Catching it early is vital to survival and the current system can cause harmful delays.
The earlier breast cancer is diagnosed the better the chance of lives being saved
Sally Kum
Mr Streeting told the Royal College of GPs conference in Liverpool that self-referral could later be opened up for more conditions.
He said: “Where there are appointments that can be cut out, with patients seen by specialists faster and GPs’ time freed up, we will act.
“That means faster diagnosis for cancer patients and more GP appointments.
“Where patient pathways can be simplified through self-referral or direct referral by other NHS services to save time, we will act.”
Currently women with possible symptoms of breast cancer must see a GP first, who can refer them for a hospital scan if they are concerned.
The process can take weeks.
There is also free routine breast screening but it is offered only in middle and old age and at three-year intervals, not in response to symptoms.
Sally Kum, from the charity Breast Cancer Now, said: “The earlier breast cancer is diagnosed the better the chance of treatment being successful and lives being saved.
“We welcome the Government’s focus on ensuring more people get referred to a specialist faster when they find a breast change.”
Dr Vin Diwakar, of NHS England, added: “New technology has the power to transform how we manage our healthcare.
“This is just the start of our plans to bring NHS services to patients through the app.”
Bureaucracy bonfire pledge
It comes as Mr Streeting pledged a bonfire of red tape to cut GP waiting times.
He said family doctors spend up to a fifth of their time doing paperwork.
The Department of Health and NHS will carry out a review of admin tasks that can be scrapped, he said.