Who is eligible for bowel cancer screening?
From 2025, everybody aged 50 – 74 years is eligible for bowel screening and will be invited every two years.
The screening kit, also known as FIT (faecal immunochemical test), comes through the post and reminders are sent by text. Therefore, it important your GP has the right address and mobile number for you.
You don’t need any appointments – you can do the test at home and post it directly to the test centre (free of charge) through any Royal Mail postbox.
All the instructions for doing the test are in the box. It is easy to do and does not take very long.
The test looks for tiny amounts of blood in your poo which can sometimes (but not always) be a sign of cancer. If blood is found, you will be invited to have some more tests to check where the blood has come from. If it is due to cancer, the early detection will make it easier to treat and could save your life.
Results are usually available within 1-2 weeks. Your result will be sent to you in the post and will also be sent to your GP.
Questions people ask
No. There are other causes of blood in the poo but it is important to check things out. If further tests do detect bowel cancer, it is likely to have been caught early, so there will be a much better chance of survival.
Out of 100 people screened, only 2 will have a positive result and less than 1 of these will have cancer.
No. You just need to scrape the small stick provided through the poo and put it into the sample container. You will not get poo on your hands if you follow the instructions. However, it is advisable to wash your hands after doing the test.
No. The test is completely sealed and, provided it has been done correctly, will not smell at all. The post office are really used to dealing with the test kits and are keen to support the screening programme.
Yes. If you have lost your kit, for whatever reason, and you now wish to complete your bowel screening, simply telephone the bowel screening service on 0800 707 6060. You will be asked to select your “hub” by pressing the relevant button on your telephone keypad. Calderdale is in the “North East hub” (Option 4).
Links to Bowel Screening Resources
More videos
Further reading
Bowel screening: benefits and risks (various languages)