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<p>The Department is working with NHS England to improve diagnosis for those with
cancer, including pancreatic cancer. The Elective Recovery Plan, published on 8 February
2022, set out the ambition that 75% of patients who have been urgently referred by
their general practitioner (GP) for suspected cancer will be diagnosed or have cancer
ruled out within 28 days by March 2024. To deliver this plan, the Government plans
to spend more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25 to help drive up and protect
elective activity, including cancer diagnosis.</p><p>In addition, the Government has
awarded £2.3 billion to transform diagnostic services over the next three years. Most
of this will help increase the number of community diagnostic centres (CDCs) up to
160 by March 2025, prioritising CDCs for cancer services.</p><p>The National Health
Service has implemented ‘non-specific symptom pathways’ for patients who have symptoms
that do not align to a particular type of tumour, including for non-specific symptoms
of pancreatic cancer. There are 103 pathways currently in place, with the aim being
to have national coverage by March 2024.</p><p>To encourage people to see their GP if
they notice symptoms that could be cancer, NHS England runs the ‘Help Us, Help You’
campaigns, which address the barriers that deter patients from accessing the NHS.</p><p>In
addition, the NHS has allocated £10 million to innovations to support earlier and
more efficient diagnosis, including the PinPoint blood test and a new genetic test
that can be used as a ‘liquid biopsy’ for those with suspected pancreatic cancer.</p>
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