Health secretary Jeremy Hunt said more needs to be done to reduce the number of missed cases and improve the detection rate.
The proposals, to rank GPs on how quickly they spot cases and refer patients, come as the government plans to make the NHS more transparent.
Last year, a survey for the NHS found that of those people eventually diagnosed with cancer, more than a quarter had seen their GP at least three times before being sent to a specialist.
Doctors could be marked with a red flag if they are found to be missing too many cases of cancer or if they have dealt with cases where patients had to make repeated visits before being referred for tests.
Those found with quick referral times for patients would be given a green rating.
People opposing the plans worry that naming and shaming doctors would not help patients, but instead result in GPs just referring all cases to a specialist, consequently increasing already long waiting lists.
Fletchers Solicitors understands the importance of receiving the correct diagnosis and know that it can be stressful and upsetting if this is not delivered in the first instance. With cancer diagnoses, time is of the essence and delays could mean it becomes more difficult to treat.
The team at Fletchers are experts in dealing with situations where patients feel that they have not received the best care that they are entitled to. If you or a family member has received a misdiagnosis then contact us today to see if you have a claim.
