The government has announced the extension of an NHS pilot programme that has drastically cut waiting times for cancer patients.

A £7.5 million programme of 51 cancer treatment pilot schemes, established in November 1999, has seen 8432 cancer patients treated quicker than they otherwise would have been. Patients waited an average of two and a half weeks less for their treatment than before modernisation began, the government claimed.

The government revealed statistics of specific hospitals to show how streamlined services were cutting waiting times. At the Wirral Hospitals NHS Trust the Wirral Hospitals NHS Trust time from referral to treatment for bowel cancer patients was cut from 130 days to 45 days. At Southmead Hospital in Bristol a weekly rapid access clinic and pre-booked patient appointments cut the time that patients with suspected prostate cancer have to wait for their first treatment from 56 to 25 days.

A further £15 million is to be spent on improving cancer care next year. Professor David Kerr, head of the collaborative programmes, said the reforms were empowering doctors to improve patient care.

"The Collaborative aims to give cancer patients choice and certainty about cancer care in the UK. So far, thanks to the hard work by many health care professionals we have made good progress. The commitment of new funds from the DoH will continue the momentum," said Kerr.

Making the announcement, health minister John Hutton said the government was committed to providing enough funding to ensure those diagnosed with cancer have the full support of the NHS.

"The hard work, innovation and determination of doctors, nurses and all those working in the pilots has led to the impressive results we are seeing today. The figures show that modernisation is well underway and we are rolling out the new ways of working across the NHS," he said.

The Cancer Research Campaign said services were still in need of more money and called for more support for doctors and health services.

"It's a positive move and it's good to see but you can reorganise to a certain level and that's it - after that you need more money," said the CRC's Dr Richard Sullivan.

The government has already said that by 2010 it aims to have five-year survival rates for cancer that compare with the best in Europe.

The NHS cancer plan, launched in September 2000, commits the government to a series of targets relating to improving cancer care, including by 2005 a maximum one month wait from diagnosis to treatment and a maximum two month wait from urgent GP referral to treatment for all cancers.

News of the shorter waiting lists comes just one day after research found that those with a family history that puts them at increased risk of cancer may not get access to screening services as they are struggling to cope with increased demand.

Research backed by the Cancer Research Campaign found that access to specialist consultant and genetic testing was subject to significant variations across the UK. Recent breakthroughs in genetic research meant more individuals could be identified as at risk of developing cancer, with the result that the regional genetics services were often unable to meet the workload.