More than one in seven cancer patients in Herefordshire are only diagnosed after an emergency admission to hospital, figures show.

The survival rates of emergency admission are substantially worse than routine referrals as patients are more likely to have more advanced and difficult to treat cancers.

Cancer Research UK has called for more awareness, better training of GPs and increased resources for the NHS to help ensure more people are diagnosed early.

In the 12 months to March, 1,161 patients were admitted to hospital with cancer in the NHS Herefordshire Clinical Commissioning Group area, according to data published by Public Health England. Most will have been referred by their GP or other routes such as breast or cervical screening programmes. But 174 patients – 15% – were classed as an ’emergency presentation of cancer’, meaning they were first diagnosed at the hospital, after coming to A&E, for example, or while being treated for something else.

Fiona Osgun of Cancer Research UK said it was important for patients to see their GP if they noticed a change in their body.

“Your chances of survival can change so much if the cancer is diagnosed earlier or later," she said.See this week’s paper for more stories like this, available in shops and as a Digital Edition now.