Health bosses last night insisted urgent cancer operations in London will not be scrapped to ease the strain on hospitals inundated with coronavirus patients.
Sir David Sloman, NHS regional director for the capital, stressed that surgery is continuing despite the increased demand on hospitals from Covid-19.
His pledge came after it was claimed that potentially life-saving cancer operations would be cancelled because hospital capacity was creaking under the pressure.
The Observer reported that urgent cancer treatment was set to be cancelled, meaning sufferers could face crucial operations being postponed for months.
It sparked fears that priority two procedures, where patients have to be operated on within four weeks to prevent their condition to markedly deteriorate, would be cancelled.
Britain records more than 50,000 coronavirus cases for the FIFTH day in a row - but deaths dip to 445 - as doctors warn crisis will get much worse and situation in packed London hospitals is MILD compared to what s coming next week
Another 57,725 had positive test results in the last 24 hours, meaning 2,599,789 have had the disease in Britain
The country also saw another 445 deaths from the coronavirus, which takes the grim official count to 74,570
President of Royal College of Physicians Professor Andrew Goddard said 53,285 infections figure is set to rise
He also noted healthcare workers are really worried about the battle against the virus over next few months