The bowel cancer screening age has been lowered to 50 in Wales
Monday 7 October 2024
The Welsh Government has, with our support, made bowel cancer screening available to more people in Wales as home testing is expanded to include 50–51-year-olds.
People aged 50-51 who are registered with a GP in Wales will start to be invited for screening from Wednesday 9 October 2024. They'll automatically receive their home testing kits in the post every two years.
This marks the final step in the current bowel cancer screening optimisation plan which means that Wales’ programme now adheres to the National Screening Committee's age range recommendation.
Since 2018, Wales has taken a phased approach to gradually lower the screening age from 60 to 50, something we have long campaigned for. This last reduction means that bowel cancer screening in the country now includes those aged between 50-74.
We've been involved in supporting this process through the Bowel Screening Wales Optimisation Group.
The Welsh Government has also announced that the sensitivity of the screening test will be improved on Monday 7 October 2024, meaning that the test is more likely to pick up signs of possible bowel cancer.
Bowel cancer screening is one of the best ways to diagnose the disease early, or in some cases prevent it from developing in the first place. As bowel cancer is treatable and curable when spotted early, the screening programme plays a vital role in improving cancer outcomes across Wales.
The easy-to-use home testing kits were introduced by the Welsh Government in 2019. They've helped improve screening uptake to 67% in the county.
Moving forward we'll continue to campaign for the improvement of the bowel cancer screening programme in Wales. More work is required to tackle inequality gaps in those completing the test, to improve waiting times and capacity and to make sure the current FIT sensitivity is further improved to bring it in line with UK National Screening Committee (UKNSC) recommendations.
Gerard McMahon, Head of Policy & Influencing (Devolved Nations) for Bowel Cancer UK said: “It’s fantastic that we’re continuing to see progress in the optimisation of the Wales Bowel Screening programme. We’ve long campaigned for the screening age to be lowered to 50, so it’s a huge milestone to see this in place.
“Nearly 2,400 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year in Wales. With a robust screening programme in place, we can make sure that more people are diagnosed at an early stage, when the disease is easier to treat.
“We hope to see a continued commitment from the Welsh Government in optimising and ensuring proper funding of screening. We know there are still inequalities across the country when it comes to taking part in screening which must be tackled, and the current FIT sensitivity should continue to be improved in line with UK National Screening Committee (UKNSC) recommendations. We look forward to working with the Welsh Government to deliver on these key objectives and ultimately improve survival of bowel cancer.”
- Read more about the importance of bowel screening
- Find out more about our campaigning work
- Find out more about our work in Wales
