The bowel cancer screening programme (BCSP) team have been out in force promoting the Calderdale, Kirklees, and Wakefield (CKW) BCSP.
AAA and BCSP Programme Manager, Natalie Wilding, stars in a new promotional video encouraging those eligible for bowel screening to take part. It’s aimed at men and women aged 50-74 who are registered with a GP. Film and media company reddoor produced the short film and as part of the package they recently hosted an engagement roadshow at Trinity Walk shopping centre in Wakefield, with the team on hand to raise awareness.
Special Screening Practitioners (SSP) Bridget Keegan and Phillipa Gilbert, Karen Lomax, Lead Administrator and Lead SSP Lydia Nhavira talked to shoppers about the importance of screening and how easy it is to take part
Natalie, pictured below, said: "Every 30 minutes in the UK someone dies from bowel cancer, so we're encouraging anyone who receives a test in the post not to put it off. It's a really quick and simple test that can be done at home."
“We also took part in the recent CHFT Careers Event, spending the morning talking to people about joining our lovely team. This was a valuable opportunity as nationally the programme is planning to lower the faecal immunochemical test (FIT) threshold. FIT detects small amounts of blood in poo samples and lowering the threshold will mean bowel screening teams are busier than ever.
“Eight BCSPs across England have already done this and are seeing a massive 35% increase in activity. Here in Calderdale, Kirklees, and Wakefield, we are in the early planning stages for this significant programme change and will certainly be attending the next careers event in October!”
You can read more about this exciting programme development here Quality Improvement and Optimisation of Bowel Screening
More information about the screening programme is available on the NHS website Bowel cancer screening - NHS
Main image left to right: Karen Lomax, Lead Administrator and Bridget Keegan and Phillipa Gilbert, Special Screening Practitioners (SSP).
Below: Lorraine Dewar, Lead Administrator who was joined by Paula Pickersgill, SSP at the Careers Event. And Natalie in a clip from the film.
