Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase participation in the bowel cancer screening programme in Ashfield.

Bowel cancer screening is delivered through the national NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme, which invites eligible people aged 50 to 74 years old every two years, with those aged over 74 years old able to request a test kit. Data for the programme is available at a Nottinghamshire level, and as of January 2026, the test kit return rate was 64.9%, compared with a national average of 54.3%. All individuals in Nottinghamshire with a positive test result were offered an appointment with a specialist screening practitioner within the 14‑day national standard.

NHS England Midlands has implemented a range of measures to increase participation in the screening programme across Nottinghamshire, including for residents of Ashfield. These measures include:

• issuing digital invites, via Eastern Hub Notify, for anyone eligible who has previously been invited for bowel cancer screening. This went live on 2 March 2026. Additionally, this gives people the opportunity to update their postal address if this is incorrect. In terms of Notify, any messages that have not been read after 39 hours will be issued with a letter of invitation;
• liaising with detained estates and secure mental health sites to invite the eligible population for screening. The Eastern Bowel Hub issues a monthly request to detained estates to review the eligible cohort and ensure that all eligible individuals are invited;
• making reasonable adjustments for additional care needs, with intervention for learning disabilities fully rolled out in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. Patients with a learning disability receive Easy Read information material. In addition, the Hub is working with learning disability liaison nurses in Nottinghamshire, who contact non‑responders and provide support to promote engagement and assist with completion of the test; and
• providing investment, in 2025/26, to support projects targeting health disparities. As a result, a local authority-led project has been awarded, focusing on qualitative and quantitative analysis within primary care networks, where participation in bowel and breast screening programmes is currently low. The aim of this project is to gain a deeper understanding of the reasons individuals may not take up the screening offer, enabling NHS England to tailor interventions more effectively. The insights gained will inform the development of training materials for community champions, with the Royal Society of Public Health leading on the training course design. This course is intended to equip community champions with the knowledge and skills to engage with members of the public, including those from underserved communities and health inclusion groups. Looking ahead, the project plans to train 80 champions in 2026/27. These champions will play a vital role in supporting and encouraging participation in screening programmes in Nottinghamshire.