Ministers have pledged to improve NHS cancer services

All patients with suspected cancer should currently receive a hospital appointment within two weeks of being referred by their GP.

Figures published on Friday show 98% of patients are seen within this time.

However, there have been claims that patients wait much longer before starting treatment.

The government has promised to cut the wait between GP referral and treatment for all cancers to one month by 2005.

Top priority

Public Health Minister Hazel Blears told a cancer services conference in Birmingham that improving cancer care is the government's top NHS priority.

She also announced plans to improve training for doctors and nurses involved in cancer care and to spend more money on medical technology to diagnose the disease.

There is no greater priority for the NHS than modernising cancer services Hazel Blears, Public Health Minister

"There is no greater priority for the NHS than modernising cancer services," Ms Blears she said.

"After decades of neglect cancer services are now getting the sustained investment and fundamental reforms they have long needed and this investment is delivering real results."

Professor Mike Richard, the government's cancer tsar, also addressed the conference. He praised the efforts of NHS staff to improve cancer services.

"Throughout the service clinicians and NHS staff have worked extremely hard to improve the quality of care for cancer patients and there is clear evidence of progress," he said.

"We are now at a critical point when we need to build on the progress made in the last three years and ensure the benefits are seen throughout the country.

"If this is done I believe we can achieve our goal of having cancer services that are amongst the best in Europe."

Key targets

The government has set ambitious targets to improve cancer services.

From next year, every patient diagnosed with cancer will benefit from pre-planned and pre-booked care.

Ministers have also pledged to reduce deaths from cancer in people under 75 by at least a fifth by 2010 - saving up to 100,000 lives in total.

Cancer charity CancerBACUP backed moves to reduce the length of time that cancer patients wait for treatment.

"The emphasis on getting patients diagnosed quickly has meant that some people have had to wait too long for treatment to begin," said Joanne Rule, its chief executive.

"This is unacceptable, and action is urgently needed to speed up the system for patients. Unless we see fast results, the government is unlikely to meet its targets on waiting times."

Opposition parties criticised the government for focusing on referral times rather than the length of time patients wait for treatment.

Shadow Health Secretary Dr Liam Fox said: "Because of the government's 14 day pledge, patients whose conditions were operable when diagnosed have become inoperable by the time of treatment."

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Dr Evan Harris added: "It is an indictment of government policy that ministers have become obsessed with the two week wait target for diagnosis, which is of no proven benefit to cancer patients.