The Government is launching a new drive to save the lives of 5,000 more cancer sufferers a year. Skip related content

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley is set to commit around ?800 million to an updated cancer strategy for England.

The plan is expected to focus on early diagnosis to improving survival rates, which lag behind many other European countries.

It will include a specific commitment to save an additional 5,000 lives a year in England by 2014-15.

A ?10 million awareness campaign will encourage people to see a doctor if they show any sign of developing cancer symptoms, while funding will be announced for 1,200 additional cancer specialists.

At the same time, under previously announced plans GPs will be able to send patients directly for diagnostic tests without referral first to a consultant.

At the moment, some GPs have access to tests in primary care, including chest X-rays. But other scans have to be ordered by a specialist in hospital – meaning the patient gets referred there first by their GP.

Under the new plans, GPs will be able to order tests themselves, which might include ultrasounds for ovarian cancer, MRI scans for brain tumours and colonoscopies for bowel cancer.

Doctors will still have the option to send patients through the rapid referral system to see a specialist within two weeks.