NEWS: Rise of urgent suspected cancer in the Thames Valley

New figures show that a record number of urgent suspected cancer referrals were made in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire this year.

A cancer research organisation said cancer patients across England already face "anxious waits for treatment", and called on the Government to invest in and reform cancer services across the country.

It comes after the Government announced new tech deals to boost the business of cancer detection, and a plan to trial new ways to tackle the disease with faster diagnoses and better treatment.

NHS England figures show three million urgent suspected cancer referrals were made across the country in 2023/24, up five per cent from 2.9 million the year before and the highest figure since records began in 2009-10.

At the NHS Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board, 87,103 such referrals were made this year, up from 82,564 the previous year and also a 14-year record.

Of all urgent suspected cancer referrals made across England this…