Britons with cancer symptoms can have scans without visiting a GP in vital NHS change

BRITS with symptoms of lung cancer are seeking vital tests themselves rather than waiting for a GP to do so.

On-demand chest x-ray services have been introduced in a number of locations, including Manchester and Leeds.

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Under these schemes, patients with symptoms such as persistent cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing can access radiology services directly, with the report of their x-ray sent to their GP.

Analysis from the pilot suggests that the number of lung cancer cases detected by self-referral is similar to those referred by a GP.

It should be “easier” for people with symptoms of the disease to get chest X-rays and speed up diagnosis, they say.

The authors say the wider rollout of these services “warrants urgent consideration” given the “current challenges patients face in accessing primary care”.

Self-referral can ease pressure on the NHS by allowing patients to skip their appointments with their GP.

But it’s important to note that only patients are allowed to have a scan if they have had telltale symptoms for more than three weeks.

These include persistent cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain, loss of appetite and weight loss, lump in the neck and coughing up blood.

Currently, patients must also be over 40 and registered with a GP to request a lung scan.

Dr Stephen Bradley, lead author of the paper and a GP in Leeds, said: “A diagnosis of lung cancer can be devastating, but catching it early can make all the difference.

“We have made a lot of progress, but there is still much work to be done to diagnose the problem as quickly as possible.”

Experts also called for data to be made available on the number of chest X-rays ordered by GPs each year, to highlight areas where patients could benefit from schemes enabling self-referral.

They suggest that messages about lung cancer symptoms should be designed to reach people who have never smoked, as well as those who have smoked.

Dr Bradley added: “We need to make it easier for people with symptoms to have tests like a chest X-ray and find ways to raise awareness of the disease, including people who have not smoked.

“We hope that the UK health service will take these recommendations seriously and help us to give people with lung cancer the best possible chance.”

According to the NHS, more than 43,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer in the UK each year.

Smoking is the most common cause, accounting for about 70 percent of cases.

The disease is more likely to be treated successfully if it is detected early.

In June 2023, it was announced that a targeted lung cancer screening program would be rolled out and available across England by 2029.

People aged 55 to 74, smokers or former smokers are eligible for screening.

Missed opportunities

Nick Whitehead, 58, from Newton Aycliffe, visited his GP several times with a persistent cough over the course of around 18 months, but was never sent for a chest X-ray.

He was eventually diagnosed with lung cancer two years later, during a visit to the emergency room after coughing up blood.

“I had many opportunities to be diagnosed earlier,” Mr Whitehead said.

“I think I wasn’t sent for the tests because I was too fit.

“As a diver, my lung capacity is good, so I was not out of breath, but given that we are constantly told that a persistent cough is a symptom of lung cancer, it is strange that I did not not been sent for consultation at least.

“If I had the chance to ask for an X-ray, I would have had an X-ray done. My wife would have made sure of that.”

Paula Chadwick, chief executive of the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, said: “All too often we hear stories of people like Nick whose lung cancer could have been diagnosed earlier. It is imperative that we do everything we can to change this.

“We are making progress, largely due to screening, with 76 percent of people detected at stages one and two.

“However, with more than half of lung cancers occurring in people not eligible for screening and only about half of those eligible choosing to participate, improving early detection among people with symptoms is critical to transforming the long-term survival.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “As part of this Government’s plan for change to radically reform the NHS, we will tackle cancer on all fronts – through prevention, diagnosis , treatment and research.

“We are committed to transforming diagnostic services, particularly for lung diseases, so that we can detect more cases earlier and treat them faster.

“We will also deliver an additional 40,000 elective care appointments every week and invest a further £1.5 billion in new surgical centers and AI scanners. »