In a new ‘Help Us, Help You’ campaign that is the first of its kind nationally, NHS England is
encouraging people who have been sent an NHS bowel cancer screening kit to complete the
test.
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK, and detecting it at the earliest
stage makes you up to nine times more likely to be successfully treated. But, almost one third
of people who were sent an NHS bowel cancer screening test in England last year did not go on
to complete it – despite a new survey showing that 98% of those eligible for the test agree that
the test is important.
Just a tiny sample detects signs of cancer before you notice anything wrong. The test is simple to
complete and can be done in the privacy of your own bathroom. Anyone aged 60 to 74, who lives
in England and is registered with a GP practice will be sent a test in the post automatically, every
two years. NHS England is also extending this to include all 50 to 59 year-olds by 2025.
As part of the campaign, a new film featuring ex-Groundforce co-hosts, Alan Titchmarsh
and Tommy Walsh, has launched to encourage anyone who is sent a bowel cancer screening
kit to remember to complete it.
Your next poo could save your life. Put it by the loo. Don’t put it off.
Visit nhs.uk/bowel-screening for more information
