Britons will be able to test for cancer and be seen by a GP within a matter of minutes through a new service to help streamline the pathway to diagnosis.
The service, developed by testing kit provider Newfoundland, will enable users to book an appointment with a registered GP via DoctorCall, a firm which specialises in providing virtual and at-home GP appointments.
Newfoundland’s rapid at-home test kits, which take an average of 5 minutes, can test for some of the most common conditions including bowel cancer, kidney disease and urinary tract infections. GPs will then be able to discuss the results of a test with a patient, over the phone or in person.
Patients will also be able to obtain a digital e-prescription following their GP appointment.
Cancer testing kits manufactured by Newfoundland have been sold in Tesco for the past six months, with a bowel cancer kit costing as little as £9.99.
Newfoundland was originally launched during the Covid-19 pandemic to distribute lateral flow tests.
Co-founder of Newfoundland, Frederick Manduca, said the service would allow Britons to “take their health into their own hands” whilst also helping to alleviate pressure on the NHS.
“We hope by making this resource available to our customers, it will allow more people to be proactive with their health and potentially save their life or catch a condition before it could develop into an issue.”
Dr Charles Levinson, Doctorcall Medical Director, said: “Accelerating and streamlining the process from initial test to diagnosis is vital. Pandemic delays have significantly disrupted millions of patient pathways - leading to stress, suffering and worsened outcomes. This ground-breaking partnership will enable patients to take control of their health, getting ahead of potential issues and therefore giving themselves the best chance at a swift recovery.”
