More than 4,500 additional people across our communities offered bowel cancer screening thanks to UHDB's pioneering screening team
Patients who are screened sooner for bowel cancer have a better prognosis of preventing cancer at an earlier point when it's more likely to be in its curable rather than palliative stages.
All this month it's Bowel Cancer Awareness month > and we want to shine a light on the South Derbyshire Bowel Cancer Screening team who have been working hard to bring awareness of bowel cancer to the wider communities who struggle to access screening programmes due to factors beyond individual control, such as location or ethnicity. The team are looking to bring this to light by attending existing community events and giving talks on screening benefits and general healthy living to increase participation. They will be attending an event in Queen's Hospital Burton as well as going to local centres within the south Derbyshire community with the first taking place on Wednesday 30 April from 10am-5pm at Brewhouse Arts Centre in Burton-upon-Trent > (opens in new window).
Jessica Appleyard, Deputy Programme Manager for the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme, explained how the team approach their work within communities to ensure everyone from all backgrounds are considered and can take on board the information presented to them. "We are a friendly team that tailor the clinics to the needs of the patients, and clearly communicate all information they need to make an informed choice."
Screening 4,500 additional people since June 2024
Through the distribution of at-home FIT kit tests (Faecal Immunochemical Tests) a simple process whereby a patient sends off a sample to be checked for hidden blood in their stool, which can be an early sign of bowel cancer or other issues with the colon - the longest part of your large intestine, patients are able to use this tool for early detection and better treatment outcome.
The team have successfully age extended their screening, meaning all eligible patients aged from 50 years can now receive FIT kit tests, previously this was from age 54 years. Since June 2024, over 4,500 people across South Derbyshire have now been sent their screening kits earlier, supporting earlier diagnosis and treatment for those who test positive.
After initial screening, the team support a patient's healthcare route through a range of onward care. This could be by organising clinical appointments for those who test positive through an at home FIT kit; sending any polyps, a small, often harmless growth in the body, removed from patients to pathology for further testing; referring patients to cancer colorectal multi-disciplinary team meetings where necessary; or supporting patients who have Lynch Syndrome - a genetic disorder that increases the risk of developing several types of cancer - with onward referrals.
First centre nationally to use innovative new techniques
From November 2024 the team were the first centre nationally to complete optical diagnoses, which is a microscopic technique that uses light to examine the body and make medical diagnoses, and means not all polyps need sending to pathology which in turn has a direct impact on patient experience at what can be a very challenging and anxious time.
Jess said the motivation for the team comes from the patients themselves and wanting to treat them efficiently to ensure an early diagnosis, whilst also looking out for each other within the team.
She continued: "Making a difference is considered a privilege by all in our team. The team strive to offer appointments for procedures quickly and ensure that those people who need ongoing management are directed to the correct service in a timely manner.
"As a team we also offer a lot of wellbeing care to those we work with to ensure we are all in the best position to offer support to the patients we treat."
The team's action plan for 2025 is to strengthen their voice in the community through patient partnership groups within GP practices and holding awareness events to educate members of the public on prevention, symptoms of bowel cancer and the importance of early detection.
The team's ambitions for the next 12 months are to increase the uptake for bowel cancer screening to align with the national average of 71% which they plan to achieve through increasing initial FIT kit screening uptake by 4%, as well as increasing colonoscopy appointments by 2.5%.