Bowel Cancer: Screening
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how his Department plans to support endoscopy services to ensure the increased test sensitivity in the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme to 80ug/g is rolled out by 2028 without impacting on colonoscopy waiting times.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock
NHS England has undertaken detailed modelling to understand the diagnostic and workforce capacity required to support a reduction in the faecal immunochemical test (FIT) threshold within the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme in England. NHS England has worked with early adopter sites to test the operational impact of lowering the FIT threshold in real‑world settings. These sites have provided evidence on changes in referral volumes, colonoscopy demand, cancer and polyp detection rates, and the implications for endoscopy services. The findings are being formally evaluated and are informing assumptions within the national capacity modelling. The timing of wider roll‑out is directly linked to the outcomes of this modelling and evaluation work, as well as the availability of trained endoscopy staff.
NHS England continues to develop the endoscopy workforce, including the expansion of the screening colonoscopist workforce through Advanced Training Skills Module.
Alongside this, NHS England is progressing a wider programme of endoscopy transformation focused on releasing capacity and improving productivity. This includes the intelligent use of FIT testing, including coloFIT, to support more effective risk stratification, reduce unnecessary colonoscopies, and ensure that available endoscopy capacity is targeted towards those at highest risk. Embedding FIT‑led pathways supports earlier reassurance for lower‑risk individuals while prioritising timely investigation for those most likely to benefit.
Verbatim has judged this answer against the question that was actually asked — answered, partly answered, or evaded. Sign in to see the verdict →