I feel for our community of dedicated, hard-working GPs. Only last month the Association of Medical Royal Colleges was appealing to them to avoid over-treating and over-testing patients, as they sense a growing pressure to act. Now they are being given a checklist of symptoms to spot the signs of cancer and send patients for tests, while many frontline doctors are under pressure to reduce referrals to save money.

Early diagnosis is without doubt the way forward. As with many areas of healthcare, upfront investment in diagnosis and technology often reaps benefits for the patient and savings for the health service in the long run.

But let’s give our GPs the support and investment they need do provide the best care they can.

Barbara Harpham