People in Dorset and the south west say difficulty making an appointment would be the main reason they might delay going to their GP.

The new research has come from Cancer Research UK. The charity claims that 33 per cent of those questioned in the region said it might put them off going to the doctor about a symptom they thought might be serious, above other considerations such as worrying about what the doctor would think or wasting their GPs’ time. Visit cruk.org for more details