Staff in high street pharmacies will be funded to spot signs of cancer as part of a new drive to catch tumours early, NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard has announced.

Currently being trialled by pharmacies, the plans to spot signs of cancer early when they are easier to treat also include roaming liver scan trucks and targeted genetic testing programme.

Those with symptoms including a cough that lasts for three weeks or more, difficulty swallowing or blood in their urine will be referred direct for scans and checks without needing to see a GP if staff think it could be cancer.

From this month, roaming liver trucks will also start to offer on the spot scans for people most at risk of getting liver cancer.

Mobile scanners will visit GP practices, town centres, and foodbanks to encourage the uptake of quick, non-invasive scans.

The NHS will also launch a new programme of genetic testing for BRCA mutations for people with Jewish heritage who are at higher risk of mutations, with up to one in 40 people affected, compared with 1 in 400 in the general population.

This is expected to identify thousands more BRCA carriers over the next three years so they can seek early access to further surveillance and prevention programmes.

Dr Anthony Cunliffe, Macmillan Cancer Support’s National Clinical Adviser for Primary Care, said:

“This pilot will give people the opportunity to access more trained professionals in their community to get symptoms investigated, potentially getting them into the system earlier and easing pressure on frontline professionals, like GPs. The quicker someone is diagnosed, the better their chances of survival”.

Helga Mangion, Policy Manager at the National Pharmacy Association, said:

“Earlier diagnosis of cancer gives a better chance of successful treatment. As a highly accessible healthcare setting, pharmacies can play an important role in spotting signs of cancer and make appropriate referrals into NHS care. The community pharmacy cancer diagnosis pilot is a great opportunity to further expand the clinical role of pharmacy teams, increase early detection rates and improve outcomes for patients. This initiative builds on the skills of a highly-trained workforce and the fact that pharmacy staff know their patients well and see them regularly”.