Months-long waiting times for cancer referrals have been blamed on an increase in patients coming forward due to 'high profile celebrity deaths'.

The NHS Somerset Foundation Trust, which runs Musgrove Park Hospital, said that: “For some types of cancer, we’re seeing over 40% more referrals compared with the same period before the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This follows a number of high profile celebrity deaths over the last year, which has prompted more people to visit their GP, something which has been replicated in many parts of the country.”

The statement came in response to data that showed 4 in 10 cancer patients had to wait for more than 2 months for their treatment to start at the trust's hospitals last year.

Much loved BBC newsman Bill Turnbull died last year after a fight with prostate cancer. His death at the age of 66 is thought to have motivated members of the public to come forward for screening.

A similar effect was observed following the death of Jade Goody in 2009. A study published in the Journal of Medical Screening found that her widely publicised battle with cervical cancer prompted an extra half a million women to attend cancer screenings.

The study said: “About half a million extra cervical screening attendances occurred in England between mid-2008 and mid-2009, the period during which Jade Goody was diagnosed and died. The pattern of increased attendance mirrored the pattern of media coverage of Jade Goody's diagnosis and death. It is likely that the increased screening resulted in a number of lives saved.”

Dame Cally Palmer, the National Cancer Director for NHS England, told MPs the NHS was set to miss a key cancer waiting time target. Ms Palmer told a committee of lawmakers that hospitals were seeing a spike in cancer referrals.

Amongst the reasons given for the surge, Ms Palmer cited the death of Dame Deborah James who died of bowel cancer in June last year.

The Health Minister is now looking at a March 2024 target for regaining control over spiralling waiting lists, a year later than originally hoped.