NHS Bowel Screening Programme FAQs
NHS Bowel Screening Programme FAQs |
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Frequently Asked Questions
When and where will the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme start?The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme is being phased in over three years starting in 2006. Eventually there will be over ninety screening centres across the country administered from five regional programme hubs. For the latest position, please see www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk/bowel/roll-out.html When is the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme coming to my area?The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening programme is being rolled out across the country. To find out when it will reach your area, call the helpline 0800 707 6060. I'm in my sixties. What do I have to do to take part in the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme?When the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme reaches your area, and if you are registered with a GP, you will automatically receive an FOBt kit so that you can do the screening test at home. Detailed plans for the roll out will be announced as soon as possible and information will be sent to GPs and the local press. In the meantime, if you have any concern about your bowel health, you should see your GP in the usual way. What is an FOBt kit?FOBt stands for Faecal Occult Blood test and occult means hidden . The kit is used to collect samples of bowel motions which are then analysed to detect tiny traces of blood, invisible to the naked eye. Will the FOBt tell me if I have cancer?The Faecal Occult Blood test (FOBt) does not diagnose bowel cancer, but the results will tell you whether a further examination of your bowel (a colonoscopy) is required. My father died of bowel cancer in his fifties - can I be tested earlier?Eight out of ten people who get bowel cancer are over the age of sixty so the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme is aimed at people aged 60 to 69. If you are concerned about your family history, or risk of developing bowel cancer, you should see your GP in the usual way. I'm in my seventies, can I still have the test?When the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme reaches your area you will be able to request an FOBt kit so that you can do the screening test at home. You will know when this is because details will be sent to GPs and announced in the local press. In the meantime, if you have any concern about your bowel health you should see your GP in the usual way. I'm worried about constipation/diarrhoea - can I have the test?If you have symptoms or are worried about a change in your bowel habit, then you should see your GP in the usual way. Has screening started yet where I live?Have a look to see if your Primary Care Trust (PCT) has started screening yet. Bear in mind that not all PCTs start screening across the whole of their area at once, and not all invitations go out immediately. It may take up to two years after screening starts for some people to get their first screening invitation I'm aged 60-69 and screening has started where I live - why haven't I been invited yet?When screening starts in an area, not all invitations can be sent out at once. Populations are divided up into age groups, and invitations are spread out over the first two years of screening. This means you may wait up to two years for your first screening invitation. Invitations are sent out around the time of your birthday. As always, people worried about possible symptoms shouldn't wait for screening, but should speak to their GP. How do I get my screening kit?If you are in the screening age range of 60-69, you will automatically be sent your screening invitation through the post once screening has started in your area. All you need to do is make sure that your GP has the correct address details for you. People aged 70 and over need to request a kit if they want to be screened, as they won't get an automatic invitation. If you are aged 70 or over and screening has started in your area, you can phone the freephone helpline on 0800 707 60 60 to request the kit. I'm in the screening age range, and I want my kit now as I'm worried about symptoms.You cannot be screened early, you have to wait for your invitation. If you have symptoms, you need to speak to your GP. This is the quickest way of getting any health problems checked out. I'm under the screening age, but I'm worried about symptoms/have a family history of bowel problems. Can I be screened?No, the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme is currently only available to those aged 60 and over in England. There are no exceptions. Anyone with health concerns shouldn't wait for screening but should go and speak to their GP, who can arrange for referral to a specialist if necessary. I take care of the hygiene needs of a disabled/infirm person. Can I complete the screening kit for them?If the person has asked for help, understands the screening process (including colonoscopy), and does not have a medical condition that means they shouldn't be screened, then yes. However, if the person doesn't understand the screening process, and/or doesn't have the capacity to consent to it, please view the FAQ from carers. I'm in my sixties. What do I have to do to take part in the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme?When the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme reaches your area, and if you are registered with a GP, you will automatically receive an FOBt kit so that you can do the screening test at home. When the programme reaches your area, information will be sent to GPs and the local press. In the meantime, if you have any concern about your bowel health, you should see your GP in the usual way. I am a carer, looking after someone who lacks the mental capacity to make their own decisions about screening. They have been invited for screening. How should I deal with their invitation?If the person you care for is unable to make their own decisions about screening, then you, as their carer, should make what is called a 'best interests' decision on their behalf, in the same way as you may be making other decisions about their care and treatment. You will need to weigh up the benefits of screening, the possible harm to them and what you think the person would have wanted to do themselves. Whether you are a paid carer, or an unpaid carer, family member or close friend, the process is the same. Some people may have fluctuating mental capacity, in which case, the decision about screening should be delayed until the individual is able to decide for themselves. If you do need to make a decision on someone else's behalf, you will need to consider what is involved in the screening process (including any further diagnostic tests that may be needed if the person receives an abnormal screening result). You may find it helpful to speak to their GP to discuss, for example, the person's risk of developing the cancer in question and how screening may affect them. You must also consider what you think the person themselves would want. For example, did they used to go to screening, or express an opinion about it? Did they express more general views about their health and whether they would want to know if they had a disease or condition? Or did they refuse screening in the past? Paid carers in particular should get advice from family members or friends about the person's views. If, after all this, you consider that screening is in the best interests of the person you care for, then you are within your rights to help that person to be screened. You should feel confident that if someone asks you, you will be able to explain the reasons for the best interests decision that you have made - either for, or against, screening. To find out more about the bowel cancer screening process, please read our leaflets Bowel cancer screening - that facts, and The colonoscopy investigation. You can also watch a video about bowel cancer and the colonoscopy investigation. If you live in an area where bowel cancer screening has started, you can also call the freephone helpline for advice, on 0800 707 60 60. To find out more on making a best interests decision, you can read Making decisions: A guide for family, friends and other unpaid carers [PDF 390Kb] from the Office of the Public Guardian. There is also Making decisions: A guide for people who work in health and social care [PDF 320Kb] on making best interests decisions. To find out more about consenting to screening, please read our Consent to cancer screening guidance. |
 Bowel cancer screening programme index Who does what in the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme? Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) GP Pack (Information for primary care) Bowel Cancer DVD English Bowel (Colorectal) Screening Pilot |
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