Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people over 75 self referred for bowel cancer screening in (a) 2023 and (b) 2024.

The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme plays a vital role in the Government's ambition to change the National Health Service so that it diagnoses earlier and treats faster.

Although people aged 75 years old and over are not routinely invited, they can self-refer and ask for a bowel cancer screening kit every two years by phoning the free bowel cancer screening helpline.

In 2023, 132,425 people aged 75 years old and over requested a test kit. Of these, 99% completed the screening test.

In 2024, 99,516 people aged 75 years old and over requested a test kit, with 98% completing the screening test.