Food banks and Hospitals work together to promote bowel cancer screening in Northampton
3,000 packs of toilet rolls and information leaflets are to distributed across local food banks this month, to encourage bowel cancer screening
Hospitals in Northamptonshire have partnered with local food banks to promote bowel cancer screening and improve health.
“By raising awareness and dispelling myths about the screening process, we will potentially save lives. Our advice is to complete and return the screening test when you receive it. Do not wait till it’s too late.” Says Andrew Chilton, Screening Consultant and Endoscopic Professor.
Detecting cancer early through screening allows for successful treatment, which often prevents it from spreading.
Kettering and Northamptonshire Bowel Screening Centre plan to distribute 3000 packets of loo rolls with information on Bowel Cancer screening, until the end of April.
The scheme is aimed at people over the age of 45 and to not only raise awareness of bowel cancer but also increase the return of at home screening kits, which are posted out every two years to all GP- registered residents over the age of 50.
Only 35-55% of kits are returned in the areas where the selected food banks are located.
“Research shows that people from lower income families are less likely to complete and return their screening test, meaning bowel cancer may go undetected.
“We are delighted to have secured funding and to be working with local food banks to target areas of low uptake and encourage more people to participate in screening when invited to do so."
The three-month NHS funded initiative is supported by Bowel Cancer UKs ' #get it on a roll' campaign and Morrisons who are delivering the toilet rolls free-of-charge.
Early detection of bowel cancer significantly improves survival, with 90 to 95% surviving at least five years when diagnosed at stage 1.
Bowel cancer symptoms can be subtle at first. April marks Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, and people are encouraged to see their GP if the following persist for more than three weeks:
- Blood in poo
- Changes in bowel habits such as diarrhoea or constipation
- Persistent abdominal pain
- Unexplained weight loss
- Fatigue
- Feeling as though you have not emptied your bowel properly