Scottish Government publishes updates to bowel screening standards
Friday 1 September 2023
The Scottish Government has developed an updated set of standards to support bowel screening services in Scotland.
We were pleased to sit on the development group that oversaw the review and update of the national bowel screening standards in Scotland. These standards draw on current evidence, best practice and stakeholder recommendations to make sure that the screening pathway works consistently and efficiently.
Screening aims to detect signs of diseases such as bowel cancer at an early stage, when treatment has the best chance of working.
The updated standards cover all parts of the screening pathway. They set the minimum levels of quality that should be delivered for people taking part in bowel screening, wherever they live in Scotland.
The standards cover:
- the way eligible people are invited to screening
- how and when they're told about their results
- how they're passed on for further diagnostic investigation
- quality assurance within the programme.
Gerard McMahon, Head of Policy and Influencing (Devolved Nations) for Bowel Cancer UK said: “We welcome the publication of the latest bowel cancer screening standards and reiterate how important it is for people of screening age to take part in the programme. Bowel cancer is treatable and curable if diagnosed early. Taking part in bowel cancer screening can often find the cancer before symptoms develop, when it’s much easier to treat.
“We hope to see further optimisation of the bowel cancer screening programme including improving participation levels and bringing the sensitivity of the screening test in line with UK National Screening Committee (UKNSC) recommendations."
- Taking part in screening could save your life. Learn more
- Find out more about our work in Scotland
- Learn about the symptoms of bowel cancer
