Colonoscopy: Older People
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the capacity of colonoscopy services; and whether his Department plans to increase the capacity of these services ahead of the extension of the bowel cancer screening programme to people aged 50 and above by April 2025.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
NHS England is responsible for delivering the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening programme and planning for the age extension in the programme from 60 years old down to 50 years old.
The age extension for bowel screening started in April 2021 with the 56-year-old cohort and, based on modelling and clinical advice, has been planned to gradually reduce to age 50 years old by 2025. This has been done to ensure that screening centres could manage any required increase in colonoscopy capacity.
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