Millions more people are now benefiting from life-saving bowel
screening compared to a decade ago, as the NHS urges even more
people to get tested.
Almost seven million people have had bowel screening from the NHS
during 2024/25, compared to around 4.7 million in 2014/15.
Since bowel screening started two decades ago, the NHS has caught
70,000 cancers with almost 85 million people in total screened.
A further 270,000 people have benefited from regular surveillance
after screening highlighted, they may be vulnerable to developing
the disease.
The NHS has transformed bowel screening since it was introduced
in 2006 for people in their sixties, with the life-saving test
now available to people aged 50-74.
Only half of people aged 60-74 came forward for screening two
decades ago, but this has risen to more than seven in ten people
last year.
It has never been easier to get screened with the NHS sending
around 8.7 million home-testing kits a year to people.
Including Grace, aged 54, who said, “I truly believe the NHS
bowel screening programme saved my life.”
She received a home test kit in the post and said the “test could
be the most important post you ever receive.”
The kit, known as the faecal immunochemical test (FIT), checks
for blood in a small stool sample, which can be a sign of bowel
cancer.
FIT kits are done at home by putting a poo sample in a small tube
and returning it by post to the NHS for testing.
The National Cancer Plan published at the start of the year
committed to diagnosing 17,000 earlier diagnoses by 2035 and
saving almost 6,000 lives thanks to the home-testing kits.
England's top cancer doctor has urged people to get tested when
the NHS invites them.
Professor Peter Johnson, national clinical director for
cancer at NHS England said: “The NHS has transformed
bowel screening over the last two decades making it easier than
ever before for people's cancer to be picked up, and the sooner
it is spotted the easier it is to treat.
“And thanks to the fantastic work of Dame Deborah James we've
seen a big jump in the number of people taking up the offer of
bowel screening.
“Bowel cancer has become more common in recent years, and anyone
aged between 50-74-years-old should be regularly tested, so the
NHS will send you a test when you're eligible that takes just
minutes to do from the comfort of your home.
“There is no need to be embarrassed – a simple poo test could be
the difference between enjoying many more years with your loved
ones, or having your life cut short by bowel cancer.
“For anyone experiencing symptoms such as blood in their poo or
severe stomach pain, no matter their age, you can speak to your
GP and get it checked out as soon as possible, as well as
completing your screening test when invited.”
Grace, 54, from Cornwall, who was diagnosed
said: “I truly believe the NHS bowel cancer
screening programme saved my life. I'm 54, fit and healthy – a
non-smoker and non-drinker who regularly swims and lifts weights
– and I had absolutely no symptoms.
“My husband had completed his screening kit around six months
before mine arrived in the post in August 2025. His result was
normal, so when I sent mine off, I expected the same outcome. But
within a week, I received a call from a nurse at Royal Cornwall
Hospital. My
FIT test had come back positive, with traces of blood found in my
stool. I would need a colonoscopy.
“I still feel very shocked about the diagnosis and having to deal
with the stoma is a constant reminder. But I was very lucky that
it was found early and has been dealt with.
“So, my message to anyone who receives a bowel cancer screening
kit is simple: please do it. You have nothing to lose, and it
could be the most important post you receive.”
Minister for Public Health, Minister Hodgson
said: “Bowel cancer screening prevents thousands of
unnecessary deaths every single year, and this progress shows
what can be achieved when the NHS focuses on catching cancer
earlier.
"Through the National Cancer Plan, we are determined to
boost early diagnosis, transform screening and ensure more people
get the right treatment at the right time.
"I urge everyone who receives a home testing kit to use it
- it takes just minutes and could save your life.”
Genevieve Edwards, Chief Executive of Bowel Cancer UK,
said: "The NHS has done a huge amount to encourage
people to take part in screening for bowel cancer, but we'd love
to see even more people taking the test when they're sent it.
“Bowel cancer is the UK's fourth most common cancer, but it is
treatable and curable, especially when diagnosed early. Screening
is one of the best ways to spot the disease early or remove
polyps that might develop into cancer, so please do take the test
when you're eligible for it.
"Whatever your age, if you're experiencing symptoms of bowel
cancer like bleeding from your bottom, blood in your poo or a
change in your pooing habits, please contact your GP to ask for
an at-home test."
