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Written question asked by Nicholas Dakin (Labour) on Thursday, 31 January 2019, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 4 February 2019. It was answered by Steve Brine (Conservative) on Thursday, 7 February 2019 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Bowel Cancer: Screening

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Government's announcement of 10 August 2018 that the age for bowel cancer screening in England will be lowered from 60 to 50, what the timetable is for implementing the lower screening age; and what assessment he has made of the effect that staff shortages in endoscopy and pathology services will have on the ability to deliver bowel cancer screening from age 50.

Answer

Plans are well underway to deliver the commitment in the NHS Long Term Plan to modernise the bowel cancer screening programme; faecal immunochemical testing at 120ug/g will be integrated into the programme from April 2019.

NHS England has committed to, over time, lowering the starting age for bowel screening from 60 currently to 50. This is being discussed by NHS England, the Department and Public Health England, and the final timetable will take into account modelling and feedback received from the system (commissioners, providers and cancer alliances).

For a safe, sustainable and high-quality service extended to age 50 years, there is a requirement to balance workforce requirements for the current commitments and Health Education England has pledged to fund the training of 400 clinical endoscopists by 2021 to significantly increase endoscopy capacity in England.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
215179
Session
2017-19
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Age Screening Vacancies Pathology Bowel cancer Endoscopy
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk