The number of people seen for suspected cancer at Great Western Hospitals Trust following an urgent GP referral rose significantly in May, but was still well below pre-coronavirus levels.

Macmillan Cancer Support says many people are still avoiding critical care due to Covid-19 and is calling for an urgent recovery plan to deal with the backlog once thousands of “invisible patients” come forward.

NHS England data shows 804 people were seen by a specialist at the Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust following an urgent GP referral for suspected cancer in May – 33 per cent more than in April, when 604 appointments were recorded.

But this was still the lowest figure for the month since 2015, and a 39 per cent drop compared to last year.

A similar pattern was seen across England, where the figure rose by 34 per cent between April and May, to 106,500.

But, this was still 94,000 (47 per cent) fewer than the number seen last May.