Redbridge is one of 24 areas across the country that have the greatest need for improvement when it comes to cancer care, a new report from NHS England has revealed.

Figures released last week indicate that Redbridge’s Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has been performing below the national average in three of four key areas.

Most alarmingly, the borough’s one-year cancer survival rate is the fifth worst in the country at 67 per cent, well off the nationally set guidelines that stated each CCG should be at 70pc by 2013, with the aim of being above 75pc by 2020.

People urgently referred by their GPs for cancer treatment in the borough were being seen within the recommended 62 days 72.6pc of the time, but NHS England’s operational standard is listed as 85pc.

The borough also rated slightly below the national average for diagnosing cancer patients early, in the first or second stages of the disease’s development, hitting only 45.5pc.

However, 83.6pc of customers rated their experience of the borough’s cancer services as positive.

A spokeswoman for Redbridge CCG said: ““The earlier a cancer patient starts treatment the higher their chance of survival, so early diagnosis is a top priority. In the two years since these statistics were recorded we’ve been working closely with GPs and public health colleagues on catching cancers sooner.

“We now have an education programme to improve GPs’ expertise in spotting cancer early, plus specialist Macmillan Cancer Support GPs who visit practices and train doctors and staff. We also work with council public health teams to raise awareness of signs and symptoms.

“The most important thing is to keep getting the message out to people to see their GP if they experience anything that’s not normal for them and their bodies. We also urge everyone who is invited for breast, cervical or bowel screening to take up the offer – it could save your life.”