Cancer Screening
In Cheshire and Merseyside, 18,000 people are diagnosed with cancer each year, but due to new forms of treatment, better screening and healthier lifestyles, this number is reducing rapidly.
Innovations in healthcare and treatment also mean that those who have cancer have a much better chance of surviving if diagnosed early.
To support the aims of the NHS Long Term Plan, funding has been allocated by the Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance through its Cancer Transformation Fund to deliver three distinct cancer screening projects:
- Bowel and Breast Screening Improvement Project
- Cervical Screening Improvement Project
- Screening Community Engagement Project
Lung Cancer Screening
Lung Cancer Screening (formerly known as Targeted Lung Health Checks) is a screening programme for people aged between 55 and 74 who have ever smoked.
They are offered in certain parts of England where there is a high incidence of smoking and lung cancer.
In Cheshire and Merseyside, they are being offered in Warrington and Wirral after being available in Liverpool, Halton, Knowsley, St Helens and South Sefton.
For more information, see this section of our website: Lung Cancer Screening :: Cheshire & Merseyside Cancer Alliance
Bowel Cancer Screening Support – Call for a Kit Service
Bowel cancer is one of the four most common cancers, with around 2,000 people diagnosed each year in Cheshire and Merseyside.
Call For A Kit is an additional service offering support to people aged 50 to 74 who have received a bowel cancer screening test kit by post but haven’t yet returned it. This service offers helpful advice, clear information, and guidance to ensure you can complete and send back your kit.
The test is called a Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) kit. It checks for tiny traces of blood in your poo, which can be an early sign of bowel cancer.
You may be contacted to attend an appointment with our friendly specialist staff, who will talk to you and answer any questions you have. If you are happy to go ahead, they can order a new test kit for you which will arrive in the post within 2-3 weeks, for you to complete at home and return by post.
If you can’t attend a face-to-face appointment, that’s ok, you can choose to have a telephone discussion instead with one of our team members. Taking the test is your choice, but it’s the best way to catch signs of bowel cancer early.
If you or your family would like more information, you can call the Call for a Kit team at 0151 706 3823 or send an email to BowelScreeningCallForAKit@liverpoolft.nhs.uk. They can explain how to get a new FIT kit and show you how to use it properly.
Liverpool Bowel Screening Awareness Campaign
In 2021, CMCA ran an awareness campaign to promote bowel cancer screening within South Asian communities in Liverpool.
The campaign used narrated videos and quote cards to urge people from these communities to do the FIT test when they receive one.
Below is a toolkit with information, promotional material and links to the videos which was used by PCNs, GP practices, community organisations and individuals.
Website and information to promote screening
A website is available to support health professionals in starting conversations about screening for breast, bowel and cervical cancers.
CMCA has supported the creation of the Early Detect, Early Protect website for Cheshire and Merseyside which promotes relaxed conversations about cancer screening, how it works and how important it is in finding cancer early, Champs Public Health Collaborative, led by the nine Directors of Public Health and CMCA, has created the website, which you can see here: https://earlydetectearlyprotect-nhs.co.uk/
With a detailed information toolkit and range of promotional resources, the website aims to educate and empower primary care professionals so they can start more early conversations about screening.