Heartland Hospitals in Birmingham has reopened its bowel cancer screening programme (BCSP) – enabling local people to be tested closer to home.
The move means patients who require tests can receive their screening locally – a significant improvement for those who previously had to travel as far as Solihull for screening.
Screening for bowel cancer aims to detect the disease at an early stage before symptoms have a chance to develop.
Not only does early detection reduce death from bowel cancer, it also helps prevent bowel cancer through the identification and removal of pre-cancerous polyps or adenoids.
Each year there are around 44,100 new cases of bowel cancer in the UK.
The reopening aligns with the NHS’s commitment to tackling health inequalities. Historically, Heartland Hospital serves an area with a low screening uptake yet high rates of bowel cancer detection.
Mr Sharad Karandikar, consultant in colorectal surgery, said: “This is fantastic news for our local community. We know that travel can be a barrier to participation, and by bringing screening back to Heartlands, we can offer a service across three sites which ensures greater access for our patients.”
The screening programme supports the NHS’s national age extension initiative, which has lowered the eligible screening age. The changes are to encourage more people to take part in life-saving screening.
Accreditation by the Royal College of Physicians for the Heartlands BCSP, secured in April 2024, involved making significant improvements to patient flow and compliance with mixed-gender screening requirements.
