Pharmacists are trained to recognize signs of cancer to promote early detection and improve survival rates.
Clients who repeatedly fetch cough suppressants or other medications that may indicate a more serious condition are referred for cancer screening without first visiting a GP.
Those with symptoms such as a persistent cough, difficulty swallowing or blood in their urine will be taken to hospital for further testing as part of a trial scheme starting in Cornwall next month.
If successful, it will be rolled out nationwide to ensure more cancers are detected early, giving people the highest survival rates.
Pharmacists can refer people with a persistent cough, difficulty swallowing or blood in their urine to hospital for further evaluation. More than 11,000 pharmacies in England now have access to training to spot the signs of cancer as part of a new drive to catch tumors earlier when they are easier to treat
Stephen Powis, national medical director of NHS England, said it could help detect cancer in some hard-to-reach patients.
“Finding cancer earlier is crucial to giving people the best chance of successful treatment,” he said, adding: “Encouraging people who might not normally seek help is another example of how the NHS is doing everything, to be potentially life-saving. monitoring made as simple as possible.”
More than 11,000 pharmacies in England now have access to training to detect signs of cancer as part of a new drive to catch tumors earlier when they are easier to treat.
Officials hope this will ease the pressure on GPs, with the latest data suggesting a further 500 full-time GPs have left the profession in the past year alone.
Cancer performance data shows that only six out of ten cancer patients started treatment in October within two months of an urgent referral from their GP (red line). The figure is the second lowest since records began in 2009. NHS targets say the figure should be at least 85 percent. This means 5,728 people waited more than eight weeks to start cancer treatment (blue bars).
It comes after leading oncologists and doctors warned that cancer care is at a “tipping point” and called for action to tackle the crisis engulfing the UK’s cancer services.
Writing in The Lancet earlier this month, they cited European research data which suggested there had been a 17 per cent rise in UK cancer deaths due to delays in diagnosis and treatment.
NHS data from November showed that 69,000 patients in the UK waited longer than the recommended 62 days from referral for suspected cancer to starting treatment in the past 12 months – double the number in 2017-18.
Meanwhile, a ranking compiled by leading international researchers earlier this year found that the UK is behind many peer countries in terms of cancer survival rates.
Health chiefs hope the involvement of pharmacists in cancer care will improve early detection, building on other successes such as B. free blood pressure tests, offered to over-40s.
More than half a million people have had a life-saving heart blood pressure test at their local pharmacy, preventing an estimated 3,700 strokes and 2,500 heart attacks and saving around 2,000 lives in five years.
And more than 440,000 people will be treated for minor illnesses at their local pharmacy by 2022 following a referral from NHS 111 or their GP practice.
Health Secretary Lord Nick Markham said pharmacies were playing an increasingly “critical role” in providing reliable advice and treatment.
He said: “Not only could this benefit people who might not otherwise have sought help, but it would also ease the pressure on GPs.”
A survey shows that nine out of ten people were satisfied with the advice given by their pharmacist.
An Ipsos survey of 2,000 adults found that 91 per cent of those who used a community pharmacy for advice about a medication, health problem or injury, or a healthcare service in the past year said they received good advice.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
