NHS England told to scrap improvement pledges and prioritise cutting waiting times

Plans shelved include earlier cancer diagnosis, boosting women's health and expanding access to dental care

NHS England is scrapping plans to diagnose more cancers early, boost women's health and ramp up childhood vaccinations after ministers told it to prioritise cutting waiting times.

The health service is also abandoning pledges to expand access to dental treatment, give more people drugs to prevent strokes and enhance care for those with learning disabilities.