WEST Cheshire has been identified as one of the 20 “most improved” areas in the country for one-year cancer survival.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer has commended the borough for improving survival rates every year since 2000, including a rise from 69.1 per cent in 2010 to 74.4 per cent in 2015.

In recognition of this achievement, NHS West Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group’s Director of Commissioning, Laura Marsh, was due to attend a reception with MPs and Peers at the House of Commons this week.

She said: “We are delighted that our ongoing, concerted effort to improve cancer care in West Cheshire is having such a significant impact for local patients. This is a result of excellent partnership work which encompasses the clinical commissioning group team, GPs and cancer specialists at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

“Year-on-year improvements against the one-year cancer survival target show that local efforts to focus on early diagnosis are significantly improving patient care – but we’re not complacent. We know there is still plenty of work to do.”

In 2016, NHS England made more than £200 million available to Cancer Alliances to help develop new models of care which speed up diagnosis and improve cancer outcomes.

In West Cheshire, this helped to develop secondary care pathways which not only ensure more cancers can be diagnosed at an earlier stage, but that quicker diagnosis to referral times can also be achieved.

It has also supported the development of enhanced community services following a diagnosis of cancer.

Crucially, all of these initiatives support improved survival rates for people affected by cancer.

Lead Cancer Nurse at The Countess of Chester Hospital, Helen Thomas, said: “It is really positive news that there is an improvement in the one-year survival rate for the population of West Cheshire.

“We will continue to work with the clinical commissioning group not only to raise awareness and improve early diagnosis of cancer but to develop post-treatment support to enable those living with a cancer diagnosis to live as well as possible.”