NHS reforms and squeezed budgets risk stalling recent advances against cancer in England, a spending watchdog warned yesterday.

The National Audit Office (NAO) said action was needed to reduce the almost 20,000 deaths a year that could be avoided if those from deprived areas fared as well as the better off, but said there were now fewer resources dedicated to service improvement.

Its report also found “important gaps” in data were hampering the ability to choose the best treatments for patients — in the same week a review ended funding for 25 drugs.

Those changes were made to the Cancer Drugs Fund — which provides exceptional access to expensive treatments — but the NAO suggested it was “difficult to evaluate in a meaningful way” the benefit of the £733 million already spent on the scheme.

Health chiefs face a grilling by MPs next week over what have been called “shocking disparities” with other European countries.