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Community pharmacies will have an “expanded role” in cancer diagnosis, says the Government in its national cancer plan. This will include offering “first-line tests” for possible cancer symptoms.

From this spring, the NHS will pilot a heartburn health checking service in community pharmacies using the capsule sponge: a non-endoscopic test for early oesophageal cancer and pre-cancerous Barrett’s oesophagus. Participating pharmacies will be able to refer patients who meet certain criteria directly into secondary care for further investigation.

Pharmacies have the means to identify cancer risk proactively, the report says – for example, through loyalty card data on the most regular purchasers of heartburn medicines – and can provide people with targeted health information.

The British Oncology Pharmacy Association’s Let’s Communicate Cancer programme will continue to help community pharmacists identify people with concerning signs – such as being regular buyers of cough medicines or indigestion relief – and signpost them for checks, the plan adds.

Another action point involves targeting young people who missed out on the HPV vaccination at school to have it administered at their local pharmacy.

The plan outlines an ambition to deliver an additional 9.5 million diagnostic tests by 2029, backed by funding of £2.3bn, enabling patients to access early test appointments, including from community diagnostic centres with extended-hours opening.

An individual cancer plan is to be offered to every patient as well as a personal needs assessment.

The plan sets a target of 75 per cent of patients diagnosed from 2035 to be cancer-free or living well after five years. Currently, 60 per cent of patients survive for five years or more.

NPA chief executive Henry Gregg welcomed the several mentions of community pharmacy in the plan, saying the sector is a “massive untapped resource” to help detect serious illnesses such as cancer early on, “which we know greatly improves survival rates for many cancers”.

“It is good news that the government wants to make greater use of the convenience and accessibility of community pharmacies … to spot early symptoms of cancer and refer patients to specialists if needed,” he said.

Nick Thayer, head of policy at the CCA, also welcomed the HPV vaccine catch-up campaign and heartburn health pilot in pharmacies.

“With more pharmacies in more deprived areas, pharmacies can help drive [vaccination] uptake especially amongst underserved communities. Commissioning pharmacies to deliver more NHS vaccines … would release GP capacity and drive vaccine uptake,” he said.

However, Dr Thayer warned that any newly commissioned vaccination programmes would require additional investment on top of wider efforts to close pharmacy’s funding gap.