Our manifestos for Scotland and Wales

This May, there'll be a major set of local and devolved elections taking place across the United Kingdom.

Both Scotland and Wales will be holding devolved elections where new parliamentarians will be elected to Holyrood and the Senedd, while England will be holding local elections across 136 councils. 

Every year, bowel cancer affects thousands of people across Scotland and Wales. With early diagnosis, better screening and the right government action, many deaths could be prevented.

We've drawn up manifestos for this May’s elections with policy recommendations which we’ll be encouraging the new Scottish and Welsh governments to take up.

Scotland 

Bowel cancer is Scotland’s third most common cancer and it’s the second biggest cancer killer. Every year, around 4,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer in Scotland, and sadly, more than 1,700 people annually die from the disease.

Our key recommendations for the next Scottish Government: 

1. Prioritise improving the bowel cancer screening programme and increasing uptake, particularly in the most deprived communities where uptake is low.
   
   
2. Offer Lynch syndrome testing to all bowel cancer patients and their families, and if tested positive, have a surveillance programme in place to reduce their risk of the disease.
   
   
3. Improve earlier diagnosis by tackling long-standing staff shortages for tests that can diagnose bowel cancer.
   
   
4. Reduce the number of people dying from bowel cancer by addressing the emergency diagnosis crisis; when a patient is more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage.

Wales

Bowel cancer is fourth most common cancer in Wales and it's the second biggest cancer killer. Every year, nearly 2,400 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer in Wales, and sadly, nearly 1,000 people die from the disease.

Our key recommendations for the next Welsh Government:  

1. Prioritise improving the bowel cancer screening programme and increasing uptake, particularly in the most deprived communities where uptake is low.
   
   
2. Reduce the number of people dying from bowel cancer by addressing the emergency diagnosis crisis; when a patient is more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage.
   
   
3. Offer Lynch syndrome testing to all bowel cancer patients and their families, and if tested positive, have a surveillance programme in place to reduce their risk of the disease.
   
   
4. Support the findings ofthe Audit Wales report on a more strategic approach to the health workforce to appropriately diagnose bowel cancer at an earlier stage. 

You can read our more detailed policy recommendations for Scotland and Wales by checking out our manifestos:

• A vision for Scotland where nobody dies of bowel cancer
• A vision for Wales where nobody dies of bowel cancer

Philip Satherley, Senior Policy Manager at Bowel Cancer UK, said: “Our manifestos for this May’s elections make practical recommendations that will improve the lives of people affected by bowel cancer in Scotland and Wales.

“Our charity does so much work to support people with bowel cancer in the two nations, but we need more politicians to support our campaigning work and influence health policy by becoming our champions so we can tackle bowel cancer effectively. We'll continue to encourage the Scottish and Welsh government to work with us and follow our recommendations.

“Whatever the results are in May, we look forward to working with parliamentarians old and new for a future where nobody has to die of bowel cancer in Scotland and Wales.”

• Find out more about our campaigns 

• Check out our other policy reports and consultations