A test of medical technology using iPhones in the detection of throat cancer is being undertaken by the NHS amid a wave of submissions creating delays on waiting lists.

Nervous patients often have to wait weeks to get the all-clear, but it is hoped a new camera device attached to a smartphone will capture images instantly, allowing specialists to check for signs of cancer and report back within hours.

Janet Hennessy, 76, from Bradeley in Stoke-on-Trent, who took part in the study, said her experience was that such procedures normally take up to three weeks. “I think the app is absolutely brilliant,” she said.

NHS National Cancer Director Dr Cally Palmer said early detection of cancer is essential ensuring treatment as soon as possible to give patients the best chance of survival.

“For those who need tests to investigate suspected cancer, it can be an extremely worrying time and being able to rule out earlier disease it can make a huge difference to people and their families,” she said.

Ajith George, consultant head and neck surgeon at University Hospitals North Midlands NHS Trust, said the device had given the cancer referral system the “radical change” it needed, with many NHS trusts struggling to keep up with patient demand.

“Rationalizing services helps keep the focus on those unfortunate patients who receive a cancer diagnosis,” Mr George said.

The NHS is under pressure to improve its performance as it faces an explosion in cancer treatment programmes, with the charity Cancer Research UK projecting in September that more than 300,000 patients would face delays by 2029.

People with suspected throat cancer usually have an endoscopy, which is a hospital procedure that involves passing a long, thin tube with a camera inside through the mouth or nose to look inside the body.

The endoscope-i adapter, which can be attached to an iPhone, includes an endoscope eyepiece with a 32mm lens and a companion app that allows nurses to capture images and share them with specialists via a secure cloud.

The NHS hopes the device, made by medical technology firm Endoscope-i Ltd, could eventually be used in any health service following a trial in the West Midlands, meaning people can be tested closer to home and they don’t necessarily have to go to the hospital. .

Since the pandemic, there has been an increase in the number of emergency patients being referred for cancer screening, but no increase in the total number of cancers diagnosed. Only 5% of the approximately 250,000 urgent referrals for suspected head and neck cancer result in a cancer diagnosis.

So far, more than 1,800 patients who took part in the study have been cleared of throat cancer within days, allowing clinicians to focus on fewer people diagnosed with cancer.

The NHS has set a deadline of 28 days from the date of referral to tell people whether or not they have cancer. Over the past four months, the NHS said more than 75% of patients received their results within the timeframe.

The NHS is working with the government on a ten-year plan involving technological innovations to help move more care options from hospitals to the community.

Other innovations that have recently been tested include a sponge that can be used to detect esophageal cancer and a home test kit for people who have a genetic predisposition to a gene defect that causes certain types of cancer.