NHS expands home testing for bowel cancer

People aged 54 will now automatically receive a home test kit every two years by post when they become eligible. The kit, known as the faecal immunochemical test (FIT), checks for blood in a small stool sample, which can be a sign of bowel cancer. The phased expansion to people aged 54 years means an additional 830,000 people in England will now be eligible for the screening test, with London, which has the lowest uptake in the country, amongst the first places to roll out to this age group.

This significant expansion of the national bowel screening programme is the latest step in the NHS’s drive to find cancers at an earlier stage when they are easier to treat. Those newly eligible will receive an invitation letter and will be sent their test with full instructions and prepaid return packaging. Results are sent back to participants, along with information about further tests, if needed. Through regular screening, the programme aims to diagnose bowel cancers at an earlier stage, increasing the chances of successful treatment and survival.

Steve Russell, National Director for Vaccinations and Screening at NHS England, said: “Lives are saved when cancers are caught early and this expansion of our bowel cancer screening programme to those aged 54 will help to spot signs of bowel cancer sooner, and potentially save thousands of lives. We are seeing positive uptake of the home testing FIT kits, with over two thirds of those eligible returning their tests, but we want to see even more people taking up the offer.”

Early detection of bowel cancer, the third most common type of cancer in England, can significantly improve treatment outcomes. Since the FIT kit was introduced into the screening programme in April 2019, national uptake has increased from 59.2% to 67.8%. The FIT kit is more convenient to use than the previous home test as it only requires one sample which can be done at home and is then returned in a sealed bottle.