Bowel Screening
Key Messages
• Everyone aged 50 – 74 will receive a bowel screening test through the post every 2 years.
• 9 out of 10 people survive bowel cancer if it is found early.
• The bowel cancer home screening test prevents 150 deaths each year in Scotland.
• The bowel screening test can find bowel cancer early, even if you don’t have any symptoms and when it can often be cured.
• You can do the bowel screening test at home. It involves collecting a small sample of poo which is sent to a lab and checked for tiny amounts of blood.
• Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in Scotland.
Further Information
Want to find out more about bowel screening or request a screening kit?
Phone: 0800 0121 833
Email: TAY.scottishbowelscreening@nhs.scot
Visit: www.nhsinform.scot/bowelscreening
Training Courses
If you’re involved in health promotion or work with individuals eligible for bowel screening, online training modules are available for your support. These modules focus on:
- The importance of bowel screening in preventing and detecting cancer early.
- What completing the home test kit entails.
- Risks and benefits of bowel screening and what results can be expected.
Access the modules here: NHS Scotland National Screening Programmes
Resources
If you wish to order any resources (like leaflets, posters etc.) in English, you can do so for free at HPAC.
You can register for a free account and order resources for collection at Summerfield House or delivery at any NHS premise you work within. To find out more information about this service, please visit: Health Information Resources Service
Translations, large print, BSL and easy read versions are available for download at Bowel screening in Scotland | NHS inform