A GROUP set up to tackle high incidents of cancer in Redditch could be scrapped because of a lack of interest from health bodies, it has been announced.

The cancer task group was set up as a sub-committee of Redditch Primary Care Group's health improvement plan.

But in a PCG agenda report it stated that, in practice, the group had been particularly poorly attended and its viability was to be investigated.

The news comes after four town estates were highlighted as cancer hotspots in a health report by Worcestershire Health Authority in December, which linked the disease to areas of high deprivation.

The PCG immediately set about working with other agencies, looking at education and the workplace to tackle problems associated with smoking, which is the single biggest cause of cancer.

PCG chief officer Sue Jenkins said members would be discussing whether to scrap it.

She said: "We will look at re-organising the group and the times it meets to get enough people interested.

"We are asking them to provide this time on top of their full-time jobs."

The group includes the PCG, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and Redditch Council.

Ms Jenkins said: "It is mainly the lack of membership but rather than scrapping it, we want to get people together."

She added: "As far as smoking is concerned, that is being tackled by the coronary heart disease group, which is coming along very well."