As part of the national bowel screening programme, eligible patients are sent a letter and a bowel screening kit; however some patients are reluctant to send samples off for testing.
It is important that invited patients participate in the bowel screening programme for a number of reasons:
- Bowel cancer affects 1 in 20 people in the UK during their lifetime
- 80% of people who develop bowel cancer are 60 years of age or older
- It is the third most common cancer in the UK, and the second leading cause of cancer deaths
- Regular bowel screening has been shown to reduce the risk of dying from bowel cancer
We recognise that obtaining the samples is not pleasant however, as your GP practice, we would strongly encourage invited patients to submit their samples as soon as possible. The kit you are sent originally can still be used if it is unopened; however the samples need to be submitted within 14 days of taking the first sample. If you require an additional kit please contact the Bowel Screening Helpline on 0800 707 6060
Once you have submitted your samples, you will be notified in writing of the results within 14 days. Please remember that abnormal results can be due to other conditions, it does not mean that you have cancer. You will be offered further investigations if you have an abnormal result.
If you have any question about the screening programme please contact the surgery. Further information can also be obtained from the website: http://www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk/bowel/
