Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the results of pilots of flexible sigmoidoscopy screening for bowel cancer; and what plans he has for a nationwide rollout of such screening.

A randomised controlled trial funded by Cancer Research UK, the Medical Research Council and National Health Service Research and Development took place in 14 United Kingdom and six Italian centres, and evaluated screening for bowel cancer using a single Bowel Scope Screening (flexible sigmoidoscopy) between 55 and 64 years of age, removing small polyps by Bowel Scope Screening and providing full colonoscopy for "high risk" polyps. The study concluded that Bowel Scope Screening is a safe and practical test and, when offered only once between ages 55 and 64 years, confers a substantial and long lasting benefit. The UK National Screening Committee reviewed the evidence, and in April 2011 concluded that screening for bowel cancer using Bowel Scope Screening meets the United Kingdom National Screening Committee criteria for a screening test. In England its implementation will be managed by National Health Service Cancer Screening Programmes.

As at 31 March 2014, 36.6% of Bowel Scope Screening centres in England were operational, exceeding the commitment of 30%¹. As set out in the third annual report of Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer (December 2013), NHS England will work with Public Health England to help deliver the involvement of screening centres sufficient to meet the 60% commitment by March 2015 and to support preparatory steps in other screening centres to implement by the end of 2016.

As at the end of October 2014, 20,603 examinations had taken place. 919 people had gone on to have a colonoscopy with 20 cancers being detected. A further 365 people have had an advanced adenoma found and removed.

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/latest-bowel-cancer-screening-technique-reaps-benefits