The National Health Service (NHS) has expanded its life-saving screening programme in England by rolling out home testing kits to hundreds of thousands of individuals aged 50 years to detect signs of bowel cancer.
This move is part of the NHS’s ambition to offer the faecal immunochemical test (FIT) to everyone aged between 50 and 74 years.
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People aged between 50 and 52 now automatically receive a home test kit every two years when eligible, marking the final phase of the NHS’s goal to offer the screening test to everyone aged 50-74. This expands eligibility to around 850,000 more people annually, with more than four million additional invitations sent since 2021.
The FIT kit, which checks for blood in a stool sample, is a crucial tool in detecting early signs of bowel cancer.
The NHS is urging more people to take advantage of the potentially lifesaving offer, as data shows lower uptake among those aged 54-59. Less than 60% of 54-57-year-olds have responded, compared to over 70% of individuals aged 60-74 who have returned their FIT kits.
This expansion is the latest effort by the NHS to detect cancers at an earlier and more treatable stage.
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By GlobalDataThe home testing process involves collecting a stool sample and sending it back to the NHS for analysis.
Those newly eligible will receive an invitation letter, the test kit, and prepaid return packaging automatically as the programme is implemented across the country.
Participants will receive their results by post, along with information on further testing if necessary.
Regular screening through the FIT kit aims to diagnose bowel cancers earlier, improving treatment success and survival rates.
NHS England Vaccinations and Screening national director Steve Russell said: “We are seeing positive uptake of the home testing FIT kits, with over two-thirds of those eligible returning their tests, but this drops off in the lower age groups, and we want to see even more people taking up the offer.”
It is estimated that two out of every hundred individuals using the kit will need additional testing.
The FIT home testing kit has been available through the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme.
Those aged 75 or older can request a kit by contacting the NHS bowel cancer screening helpline.
Since the launch of the FIT kit in April 2019, the national participation rate has increased from 59.2% to 65.2%.
Public Health and Prevention Minister Andrew Gwynne said: “As part of our ‘Plan for Change’, we will make the NHS fit for the future and fight cancer on all fronts – through prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and research.”
