Thousands Invited to Take the Test -
Bowel Cancer Screening Service Launches in Gloucestershire

15/01/2007

Thousands of Gloucestershire’s older residents are being invited to take a simple test that could help prolong their life.

From next week (January 22nd), test kits which can help to detect bowel cancer will begin to be delivered to the homes of all men and women aged between 60 and 69 who are registered with a GP.

The test kits are being issued as part of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Programme. The kits are completed at home, and involve collecting tiny samples from three separate bowel motions. Using a specially designed pre-paid envelope, the kit is then returned to the laboratory for analysis.

The programme which rolls out across the county over a two year period is part of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Programme.

“Talking about yourbowels can be very embarrassing” acknowledged Consultant Gastroenterologist Dr Trevor Brooklyn. “These kits are a great way of helping adults overcome their embarrassment because they can be completed in the privacy and comfort of their own home. Once the individual has completed the kit, they simply send it to a laboratory for testing.

“Around one in 20 people will develop bowel cancer in their lifetime. With such a killer disease, there’s little time for embarrassment and we urge people to take the time to complete the test kit and send it back for analysis.”

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has become one of the first trusts in the South West to roll out the new national programme. Its team of doctors, nurses and surgeons had to meet rigorous standards criteria before they received the go-ahead from the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme to start screening.

Julietta Patnick, Director for NHS Cancer Screening Programmes said, “Early detection is crucial to lowering the number of deaths from bowel cancer which is currently the second most common cause of cancer deaths in the UK. Bowel cancer screening could reduce deaths from the cancer by 16 per cent in those invited for screening.”

A leaflet entitled Bowel Cancer Screening – The Facts will be sent to everyone with their invitation to help them make an informed choice about whether or not to take up the opportunity of screening. The leaflet explains the process of bowel cancer screening and the benefits and limitations of the test. Step-by-step instructions for completing the test at home are sent out with the test kit and further support is available from the freephone helpline on 0800 707 60 60 where people can also obtain literature in other languages.

“If you are registered with a GP and you’re within the screening age range, we will have your details” continued Dr Brooklyn. ”Not everyone will receive a kit within the first year, so if you do not receive one straight away, there’s no need to worry. It’s important to stress however, that if you are worried about any bowel symptoms, you should see your GP.”

The introduction of screening in Gloucestershire is part of the roll out of the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme nationally. The first stage of the programme began in 2006 and it is anticipated that it will take about three years for screening to be phased in across England.

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