RESIDENTS in Whitehill and Bordon suspected, by their GPs, of having cancer have a 95 per cent chance of being referred to a specialist within two weeks.

A total of 95 per cent of patients in the area covered by the NHS South East Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) are seen within two weeks following urgent GP referral for suspected cancer, according to the SE Hampshire CCG at its annual review meeting last week.

Patients are meant to see a specialist within two weeks of an urgent GP cancer referral under existing Government targets. Introducing a new Government trial in September - a target of 95 per cent of people being given a diagnosis or the all-clear within 28 days of being referred by a GP, by 2020 - Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the UK lagged behind other western European countries in cancer survival rates, adding: “We know that the biggest single factor that means that our cancer survival rates lag those of France, Germany and other European countries is that we have too much late diagnosis - we don’t get an answer to people quickly enough.” he said.

Also in the area covered by the SE Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), 98.6 per cent of adult patients with mental health illness were followed up within seven days of discharge from psychiatric care.

At its annual review meeting, at Liphook’s Millennium Centre last Wednesday, the SE Hamp-shire CCG (which covers a 150 square mile area from Hayling Island to Bordon) reaffirmed its commitment to the development of Bordon’s Chase Hosp-ital and promised to increase health services in the town.

The CCG has developed a new five-year local strategy plan for health, which aims to support all future commissioning activity and set priorities for improved, sustainable and effective services.

Liphook and Liss GP Dr Barbara Rushton, who chaired the meeting, said: “We continue our plans to redevelop the Chase Community Hospital and attract more new services to the Whitehill-Bordon area.”

The CCG was established in April 2013 with the aim of ensuring that GPs and other clinicians lead decisions on how to shape and spend NHS resources, acting on their patients’ views.

The South Eastern Hampshire CCG has 26 GP member practices and a £229m budget for 2014-2015 covering services at acute hospitals, community services and prescribing for around 210,000 people across a 150 square mile area, including Whitehill and Bordon, Petersfield, Wat-erlooville and Havant.

The CCG has spent £228.5m in 2014-2015, which includes £128m for acute hospital care, £20m for mental health, £37m for prescribing and £22m for community health.

The cost of running the CCG per resident per year is well below the national limit of £20, while referrals for treatment is at 91 per cent, with patients getting treatment within 18 weeks of being referred for admission to hospital and 96.4 per cent for those who do not need hospital stays.