Lives are being saved by a fast-track service in Oxford that has reduced suspected cancer patients' wait for diagnosis from six months to a few days.

Dr Nigel Cowan is using CT scans to rapidly diagnose urological cancers

The one-stop clinic at the Churchill Hospital in Headington, has been set up so patients who may have kidney, ureter or bladder cancer can have all their tests together.

The patient gets the results at the same time, so they leave knowing the results are negative or that they have a future appointment for treatment.

Previously, each test was scheduled for a separate day, forcing patients to visit the hospital many times - often with months of waiting in between.

The scheme originated from the work of consultant uroradiologist Dr Nigel Cowan who has developed a way of using Computed Tomography (CT) scans to diagnose urological cancers rapidly.

He said: "If you have a cancer, six months is a long time and does make a difference.

"If you speed up the diagnosis then you can sometimes extend life. It means the difference between a corrective operation rather than just palliative care."

The £125,000 scheme is being funded for three years by Thames Valley Cancer Network, after the Government's Modernisation Agency turned down a bid because it was "too modern and too innovative".