Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2026 to Question 106495, what assessment has been made of the reasons for the 25% reduction in the numbers of those aged 75 and over self referring for bowel cancer screening between 2023 and 2024.

Improving cancer services is a priority for the Government. We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster so that more patients survive, and we will improve patients’ experience across the system.

The bowel cancer screening programme primarily focuses on uptake and coverage of those eligible for screening, those aged 50 to 74 years old, and how these individuals progress through the pathway for additional diagnostic tests where required. As those over 75 years old self-referring fall outside the primary cohort no analysis has been made of the fluctuations in numbers.

Over 75s can still ask for a kit every two years by phoning the free bowel cancer screening helpline. Anyone experiencing symptoms is encouraged to seek medical advice immediately.