April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, which focuses on increasing awareness and encouraging more people to complete their bowel cancer screening. This is especially important for the newly included 50–59 age group, where participation rates are typically lower.
The NHS bowel cancer screening programme now offers screening to everyone aged 50 to 74 who is registered with a GP. If you’re in this age range, you’ll automatically be sent a FIT (Faecal Immunochemical Test) kit every two years.
Bowel cancer screening can help detect cancer early – often before any symptoms appear. Finding cancer early makes it much easier to treat.
When your kit arrives:
- Put it by the loo
- Don’t put it off
- Complete it as soon as you can and send it back
You can also help by reminding friends, family, or colleagues in the eligible age range to return their kit – especially during Bowel Cancer Awareness Month.
More info: Bowel cancer screening – NHS
