HEALTH professionals in Gwent are asking people with cancer symptoms not be deterred by coronavirus and to continue to attend appointments.

People are not attending GP surgeries and hospitals despite having symptoms of cancer for fear of catching coronavirus, a GP has warned.

Dr Mary Craig, a Macmillan GP with the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, has said those fears are misplaced.

"You are at a far greater risk by not presenting and ignoring symptoms than your risk of catching Covid in hospital," Dr Craig said.

The health board has recognised three reasons why people are not coming forward to visit them with symptoms of cancer.

Symptoms can include unexpected weight loss, exhaustion, bleeding, lumps, changes in bodily functions and breathlessness that is getting worse.

Dr Craig said: "The first thing I would like to reassure you is that GP surgeries are open and have been all the way through Covid-19, but we are needing to do a few things differently.

"You can contact us by phone or email, you can send us pictures of things you are worried about.

"Many things can be dealt with by phone but we will ask you to come down if we need to examine you.

"We will be wearing personal protective equipment, we will be cleaning the rooms between appointments, we will take your temperature and ask you to wear a face covering.

"As things get colder wrap up warm as you may have to wait outside for your appointment."

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Another reason people were not attending was in order to "protect the NHS", Dr Craig said.

But she added allowing them to do their job would help protect the NHS.

Dr Craig said: "Protecting the NHS means practicing social distancing and hand washing, having the flu jab, and thinking carefully about taking risks that could result in injury.

"But it is also about presenting early with symptoms of cancer because it is much easier to treat you before it gets to an emergency."

Finally, the risk of catching coronavirus in hospitals was another reason people were staying away.

"The last thing I would to talk to you about is people's worry about catching Covid in hospitals," Dr Craig said.

"They have worked really hard to create systems to make it safe for you to attend.

"I would encourage you to come to appointments.

"Your risk of leaving things untreated is far greater than your risk of catching Covid in a hospital setting."