Publish date: 12 February 2026
North East cancer prevention programme continues to grow and develop
A North-East NHS service focused on finding cancers early is reflecting on a busy 2025 as the life-saving programme continues to expand.
The North of Tyne Bowel Cancer Screening Programme, a partnership between host trust Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, sent out 127,000 test kits in 2024, increasing to more than 144,000 last year.
In 2025, this led to more than 2,000 appointments with the specialist screening practitioner (SSP) team and more than 2,000 diagnostic tests.
A total of 67 cancers were found, with around half being at an early stage which helps lead to better outcomes for patients.
Programme manager, Catherine Wilson, said: “The screening programme expanded in late 2024 to include people from age 50, which meant we increased our activity last year. The team stepped up and continued to provide a brilliant service to our patients.
“We also underwent a successful review by the Screening Quality Assurance Service. It’s great to have that external validation of our programme and the hard work of all the staff involved.”
The national screening programme sees people aged 50 to 74 sent a test you do at home that checks for signs of bowel cancer. Known as a faecal immunochemical test (FIT), it looks for blood in a sample of your poo.
You don’t have to do anything to get a test. If you're registered with a GP, you'll automatically get a kit through the post every 2 years.
David Nylander, a consultant gastroenterologist at Newcastle Hospitals, is the North of Tyne programme’s clinical lead.
“Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers in the UK and your risk of getting bowel cancer gets higher as you get older,” he said. “The screening programme helps us find cancer early, often before you have any symptoms. This can make it easier to treat, treatment can be less intensive, and it increases chances of survival.
“I would urge everyone who gets a test to do it. Most people who complete their test will not need further checks, but if you do then early action could save your life.”
In January, NHS England announced it is to lower the threshold for further investigation to help detect around 600 more bowel cancers early each year. This will further expand the work of the North of Tyne team.
Having to undergo a test such as a colonoscopy knowing that you might have cancer is a worrying time for anyone. That’s why a crucial part of the service is the SSP team.
Lead SSP, Emma Robinson, said: “Our specialist screening practitioners are so important to the experience of patients going through the programme. They support patients through the process from their first clinic appointment to discharge.
“A patient’s journey may bring them into contact with different services - endoscopy, radiology, pathology, pharmacy, gastroenterology – and our role is to make that as simple and seamless as possible.”
Looking ahead, the programme has also recruited a health improvement practitioner to focus on areas of low uptake, helping to tackle health inequalities.
Media contact
Ben O'Connell, external communications manager
ben.