NHS in England urged to become ‘early intervention service’ on cancer

Too many people at risk of becoming martyrs' by not getting symptoms checked as they do not want to burden health service, report warns

Too many people are at risk of becoming martyrs" by not getting symptoms of cancer checked out because they do not want to burden the NHS, a report warns, which calls for earlier testing to diagnose those at higher risk.

The report, by the health consultancy Incisive Health, sets out ways in which the NHS in England can catch more cancers early and thus save lives by becoming more of an early intervention service". It comes as the government draws up its first dedicated cancer strategy since 2015.