Bowel screening update – August 2019

NHS England have provided an information sheet to explain the introduction of the faecal immunochemical test (FIT). This replaced the guaiac faecal occult blood test (gFOBt) at the start of June.

The main benefit of the FIT is that it is easier to use; only one sample is required compared to gFOBt, which required three different ones. FIT is also more sensitive than gFOBt and therefore able to detect signs of cancer earlier.

The FIT briefing can be downloaded here.

In addition to FIT testing, one-off bowel scope screening is currently being rolled-out for 55-year-olds in London.

Programme managers for each screening centre will be able to provide more detail and up-to-date information on how far their respective scope screening roll-outs have progressed. Bowel screening centre contacts are as follows:

North East London

City and Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest

Saema Rangrez

s.rangrez@nhs.net

0208 510 5311

North Central London

Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington

Tom Smith

Tom.Smith@uclh.nhs.uk

0203 447 5521

BHR

Redbridge (+ Havering and Barking and Dagenham)

Lynn Neeves

Lynn.neeves@nhs.net

01708 435000 x 4718

North West London

Brent, Ealing, Harrow and Hillingdon

Sarah Marshall

sarahmarshall5@nhs.net

0208 869 2643 / 3543

West London

Ealing, Hounslow, Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea

Belinda Johnston

belinda.johnston@imperial.nhs.uk

0203 313 8996 ext: 38996

King's

Lambeth and Southwark

Shonette Charles-Nurse

Shonette.charles-nurse@nhs.net

0203 299 7602

South East London

Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich and Lewisham

Tania Watson

tania.watson@nhs.net

0208 333 3000 (ext. 3106)

South West London

Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth (+ Croydon, Kingston and Richmond)

Saidah Labadie

saidah.labadie@stgeorges.nhs.uk

0208 725 0483

Last updated : 21 Aug 2019

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