GPs urged to order scans for ‘vague’ cancer symptoms like fatigue and dizziness

Vague symptoms include coughs, fatigue and dizziness

NHS England is asking GPs to send more people with “vague” cancer symptoms directly for scans, in order to speed up cancer diagnoses.

At present, people with vague symptoms can face long waits for tests or to see hospital medics, and then face delays getting their first treatment.

GPs will now be asked to order more ultrasounds, brain MRIs and CT scans for vague symptoms that fall outside the current two-week cancer referral to see a specialist.

Vague cancer symptoms include coughs, fatigue and dizziness, and going directly for a scan will skip the need to see a specialist first.

About one in five cancer cases (67,000) are currently detected after routine testing following referral, meaning people can face unnecessary delays.

NHS England says by ordering these tests and scans directly, waiting times could be cut to just four weeks.

Hundreds of thousands of hospital appointments could also be freed up by reducing the need for a specialist consultation first, it said.

Guidance has been in place since 2012 for GPs to have the right to refer patients directly for scans, but NHS England is now pushing on the issue in a bid to get more people diagnosed with cancer in its earliest stages.

In 2018, the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust showed that direct access to CT scans for suspected lung cancer meant patients waited an average of 29 days instead of 66 between referral and treatment.

NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: “GPs are already referring record numbers of patients for urgent cancer referrals, so much so that the shortfall in people coming forward for cancer checks caused by the pandemic has now been eradicated.

“This new initiative builds on that progress, supporting GPs to provide more opportunities for testing across the country for people who have vague symptoms.

“By sending patients straight to testing, we can catch and treat more cancers at an earlier stage, helping us to deliver on our NHS long term plan’s ambitions to diagnose three-quarters of cancers at stages one or two when they are easier to treat.”

Louise Ansari, national director of Healthwatch England, added: “People tell us that when they experience unnerving symptoms they need quicker and easier access to diagnostic tests to either give them reassurance that nothing is wrong or spot problems early so they can have a treatment plan put in place.

“This new initiative will give every GP practice in the country much greater flexibility in what tests and scans they can order for their patients.”

Additional reporting by PA