Plans to improve cancer services over the next ten years have welcomed by health bosses in Wilts-hire.

But the county has already implemented many of the developments highlighted in the report, which was issued by the Secretary of the State for Health Alan Milburn, last week.

The plan mapped out the future of cancer services, set waiting time targets for the treatment of the patients and highlighted investment in hospices.

It also identified areas for improvement like ending the postcode lottery for cancer drugs, where living in certain geographical areas meant people were excluded from being prescribed the costly drugs they needed.

Wiltshire Health Authority spokes-man, Dr Sally Nelson, consultant in public health medicine, said the plan reflected the good practice already in place in Wiltshire.

She said in the last two years, waiting time targets for urgent cancer referrals have been set, smoking cessation specialist services are being launched, and specialist cancer nurses have been recruited across the country - all projects promoted in the new national plan.