Figures have shown the proportion of new cancer patients receiving emergency diagnoses in Oldham has fallen to its lowest point since the start of the pandemic.

The statistics are similar to those for the whole of England, where the percentage of cancer patients presenting as an emergency has fallen in the last year but remains above pre-pandemic levels.

An emergency presentation is when a diagnosis is given within 30 days of a hospital admission and does not include more managed routes, such as cancer screening or through a GP.

Figures from NHS Digital show 284 people first presented as having cancer in the NHS Oldham CCG area between October and December, 47 of which were deemed to be emergency.

Therefore, 16.5 per cent of the patients were classed as emergency, down from 21.1 per cent during the same period in 2020.

This marks the lowest proportion of any quarter since the pandemic began and is lower than the final quarter of 2019, the last before the pandemic.

Mike Barker, Director of Integrated Care in Oldham said: "In Oldham we have seen a significant improvement in early diagnosis with the increase in detection of cancers at stage one and two going up from 45.2 per cent in 2012 to 52.7 per cent in 2019. Also there has been greater uptake in bowel cancer screening from 51.3 per cent in 2015 up to 61.9 per cent in 2021.

"But we know we have more to do which is why we are investing £4.5m to build one of the first new Community Diagnostic Centres (CDC) due to open later this year."

The CDC centre will be based at Salmon Fields in Royton and will provide MRI, CT and other diagnostic services so people away from hospitals can receive life-saving checks.

Nationally, 18.8 per cent of cancer presentations were an emergency, higher than Oldham.

Cancers diagnosed in an emergency presentation are more likely to be at a later stage, when fewer treatment options are available.

Cancer Research UK said the fall in emergency cancers could mean there has been a rise in people being diagnosed through regular routes.

However, it also expressed concern that emergency rates remain high due to cancers potentially being at later stages.