Cancer Screening
Cancer screening is for people who feel well and don't have any symptoms. It helps to spot possible signs of cancer before they become noticeable.
In Cheshire and Merseyside, 18,000 people are diagnosed with cancer each year, but due to better screening and greater awareness, more people are being diagnosed at an earlier stage, when it is easier and more successful to treat.
This earlier presentation, combined with innovations in healthcare and treatment mean that those who have cancer have a much better chance of surviving it and living well after diagnosis.
The NHS offers national screening programmes for bowel, breast and cervical cancer. Additionally, some nations are beginning targeted lung screening. Find out more about lung cancer screening on our website here.
Bowel cancer screening is currently offered to people aged 50 to 74 every two years.
Call For A Kit is an additional service offering support to people aged 50 to 74 who have received a bowel cancer screening test kit by post but haven’t yet returned it. This service offers helpful advice, clear information, and guidance to ensure they can complete and send back their kit. Contact the Call For A Kit team on 0151 706 3823 or email: BowelScreeningCallForAKit
For information on how to do the Bowel Screening Test, also known as the FIT test, watch this video: How to do the FIT bowel cancer screening test | Cancer Research UK
For more information and resources about bowel screening, see the information below:
- Bowel Resource Pack – general programme guidance and signposting to GOV.UK resources
- 2025/26 NHSE North West Learning Disability Toolkit
- LDC Pack – guidance and resource pack for care providers supporting people with learning disabilities
- NHSE North West Care Coordinator Toolkit
The NHS Breast Screening Programme invites all women from the age of 50 to 70 for screening every 3 years.
You have to be registered with a GP to receive an invitation for breast screening.
All women aged 25 to 64 are invited for cervical screening every five years.
Everyone with a cervix should be offered screening.
Cervical screening checks for signs of the HPV virus that can cause cervical cancer.
You can find out more about HPV, and the vaccine you can have to prevent it, on our website here.
Some people are eligible for self-testing. You can find out more about that here.
Clinicians and other healthcare professionals can find information about cervical screening, resources and links here in a Cervical Screening Resource Pack to support sample takers in primary care.
Information for sample takers is included in national guidance: See NHS Cervical Screening Programme – Good practice guidance for sample takers - GOV.UK
SWAGGA Primary Care Network, in Liverpool, has created a Cervical Screening Awareness Video. You can watch it here: https://youtu.be/ckalKYQMXH0?si=tUpQ27LPnbtQAgKh
Information on transgender and non-binary person screening can be seen here: NHS Cervical Screening Programme Operational Guidance for Transgender and Non-Binary Opt In - GOV.UK
Additional transgender and non-binary opt-in resources can be found via the following link: NHS Cervical Screening Transgender & non-binary Opt in - Vaccinations and Screening - FutureNHS Collaboration Platform.
NHSE NW Cervical Screening Insight Report
You can find more information and useful resources on the NHS screening programmes via the following external links:
CMCA PRACTICE Dashboard – HPV vaccination uptake is available via the PRACTICE dashboard. Only available for those with an NHS or Gov email address.
Bowel cancer screening | Cancer Research UK – CRUK Bowel Cancer Screening
Bowel cancer screening - NHS – NHS Bowel Cancer Screening
Access and inequalities | Bowel cancer screening | Cancer Research UK – CRUK Supporting Access to Bowel Cancer Screening
Breast screening (mammography) | Breast cancer | Breast cancer screening – CRUK Breast Cancer Screening
Breast screening (mammogram) - NHS – NHS Breast Cancer Screening
Supporting access and tackling barriers to breast screening – CRUK Supporting Access to Breast Cancer Screening
Find breast screening services - NHS – Find local NHS Breast Cancer Screening Service
Cervical Screening | Smear test | Cancer Research UK – CRUK Cervical Screening
Cervical screening - NHS – NHS Cervical Screening
Encouraging Informed Participation Cervical Cancer Screening – CRUK Supporting Access to Cervical Cancer Screening
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Naomi Kelly, Project Manager, Timely Presentation Team.
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Jen Kelly, Senior Transformation Manager, Timely Presentation Team.
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