Car park cancer screening trial rolled out across the country
The scheme was piloted on 2,500 people in Manchester.
Shopping centre car parks will soon become the go-to place to be screened for cancer after a successful trial in Manchester detected more than 70 cases of lung cancer.
The pilot, which took place in Gorton, Harpurhey and Wythenshawe, saw 2,500 people with a history of smoking invited for a CT scan at the mobile units parked up at shopping centres.
People aged between 55-74 were given a lung health check and for every 33 people screened, one case of cancer was detected.
Four in five of the cancers found were at caught at stage one or stage two - or earlier in the disease progression.
Now, NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens has announced plans to roll out the scheme in four areas across the country in a bid to catch the disease early.
The Manchester project will be extended and three other cancer hubs will also get the green light to provide similar screening services including ones in London and part of Yorkshire.
Speaking at the Economist War On Cancer event in London, Mr Stevens said: "NHS cancer care is the best it's ever been, with cancer survival increasing every year.
"Over the next 18 months the NHS will be rolling out new mobile and home screening kits to detect cancers earlier, when they can be treated best.''
Dany Bell, specialist adviser for treatment and recovery at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: "The earlier that someone is diagnosed with cancer, the better their chance of successful treatment is.
"So it's great news that this pilot scheme is now going to be rolled out across other parts of England.
"Lung cancer is a notoriously difficult type to diagnose at an early stage, and initiatives such as this make it easier for high-risk people to get their health checked.''