Bowel cancer screening

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Clinic information

Contact

General Enquiries
0800 707 6060

Visitor Information

Visiting restrictions are in place. Please call the ward to find out more. Find your hospital ward contact information:

Visiting

The West London Bowel Cancer Screening Centre runs across two sites: Charing Cross Hospital and West Middlesex Hospital. The screening sites covers five boroughs: Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham,  Westminster, Hounslow and 2/3 (two thirds) of Ealing.

The service’s aim is to reduce mortality from bowel cancer by early diagnosis when there is a better chance of successful treatment. The service also identifies and removes large polyps, thus preventing the development of cancer.

Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK and second biggest killer. Nearly 43,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year in the UK.

Anyone aged between 54-74 who is registered with a UK GP will be automatically sent a Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) kit every 2 years. By 2025, everyone aged between 50 to 74 will be invited.

Around 98 per cent who completed their test will not require further investigation and around 2 per cent will be offered further investigation.

The FIT kit looks for tiny traces of blood in your poo that you might not be able to see which could be a sign of cancer.

If you have lost or misplaced your kit or over the age of 75 years old then you can request one from the London Bowel Cancer Screening Hub using the free helpline on 0800 707 6060.

Results and next step

You will be sent your results in the post within two weeks of sending your FIT kit. If no further investigations are required then your GP will be informed and you will be sent a repeat test in two years’ time.

If the result of your Faecal Immunochemical Test is positive then you will be offered an initial appointment with a Specialist Screening Practitioner at one of the West London Screening Centre sites; Charing Cross Hospital or West Middlesex Hospital. This appointment will be offered within two weeks of the test result.

If you are offered an appointment, this may not necessarily indicate cancer but can suggest haemorrhoid (growth of polyps/swollen vessels). 

What to expect at your appointment

  • You will receive an appointment in the post to see one our specialist screening practitioners (SSP), who will explain the colonoscopy and answer any questions you have.
  • If you wish to go ahead and are fit to do so, then a colonoscopy examination will be arranged.

Contact details

Admin/reception: +44 (0) 20 3313 8996

West London Bowel Cancer Screening Centre email: wlbcsc@nhs.net

Bowel Cancer Screening Helpline Hub: +44 (0)800 707 6060

 

Further online resources