Patients who visit the GP with possible signs of cancer will be promised a diagnosis within three weeks, under radical new Government proposals.

The new policy will mean millions more patients will be offered CT and MRI scans via mobile units set up in supermarkets and shopping centres across the country.

The proposal is part of a 10-year plan for the NHS, which is attempting to tackle Britain’s woefully late diagnosis rates from the major killers.

Under the strategy, which focuses on breast, bowel, prostate and lung cancer, doctors will be encouraged to refer patients for immediate tests, instead of patients being forced to endure delays while they are referred to a specialist.

The ‘scan first, ask questions later’ approach is a recognition of the fact that in most cases, a definitive diagnosis cannot be made until such checks are carried out.

Currently most patients with suspected cancer are supposed to start treatment within 62 days. This means many patients are left to worry for weeks or months while waiting for a diagnosis, during which time the disease can spread.