Bowel Cancer Screening Programme

The Lancashire Bowel Cancer Screening Programme
Health Promotion Team

What is the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme?

Bowel cancer screening in the UK, offered by the NHS, is a program using a simple at-home test called the Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) to detect blood in stool samples. This helps find bowel cancer early, even before symptoms appear, making it easier to treat. The program automatically sends FIT kits to individuals aged 50-74 registered with a GP, every two years.

Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK. Almost 44,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year in the UK. More than nine out of ten new cases (94%) are diagnosed in people over the age of 50. But bowel cancer can affect anyone of any age.1 in 17 men and 1 in 20 women will be diagnosed with bowel cancer during their lifetime.

However, it is also one of the most treatable forms of cancer and can be cured if found in the earliest stages. One of the reasons why bowel cancer deaths are so high is because the symptoms go unnoticed until the disease is well developed. The aim of screening is to find signs of bowel problems before you even start to have symptoms. Detecting abnormalities early can save lives.

The Lancashire BCSP Health Promotion Team

Community CVS are commissioned through NHS North West & NHS Lancashire BCSP to promote and improve uptake of bowel screening, to reduce inequalities in uptake by targeting action amongst population groups with low uptake. The Community CVS has set up the Lancashire BCSP Health Promotion Team, they have employed staff known as BCSP Health Promotion Officers to deliver the project. The additional member of the team is the BCSP Health Promotion Specialist and is employed through the NHS Lancashire BCSP.

What Do We Do?

To raise awareness of the importance of bowel screening, the BCSP HP Team provide information & support at low uptake GP surgeries across Lancashire and South Cumbria. In Lancashire only we deliver BCSP training to frontline staff and members of the community, attend/deliver events and conferences working with key partners to increase the uptake of the bowel screening kits.

A range of publicity materials & presentations in English and several community languages have been developed to promote bowel screening throughout the diverse communities living in Lancashire.

Last update: Wednesday 16th July 2025