Bowel cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death
5 year survival
Patients diagnosed at stage 1 = 93%
Patients diagnosed at stage 4 = 7%
Tower Hamlets
60 new diagnoses per year
30 deaths per year

NHS Bowel cancer screening programme
• Age 60 – 69 (74 from 2014)
• Aims to
- identify and remove polyps + surveillance
- identify early cancers
• At 60% uptake, population mortality is reduced by 16%
• Participants reduce their risk of dying from bowel cancer by 25%

It’s not that easy to participate ……

60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
34,92%
Bowel screening uptake
N&E London at 30 June 2013
National target 60%
55,76%
Source: NHS England (London region) N&E London cancer screening team

Lower uptake associated with…
• Living in London
• Multiple deprivation
• South Asian and Muslim populations
• Low levels of English literacy
• Being male
“Intervention generated inequality”

Increasing bowel screening uptake: what works in East London?
• Targeted GP endorsement
• Telephone outreach

2012 Bowel Screening Project
• 18 randomised practices (4,000 patients) compared with 24 control practices (5,000 patients)
• Prior notification lists provided by NHS Bowel
Cancer Screening Service

Bowel Screening Project 2012
All results were highly significant

Targeted endorsement letter on headed paper
9 practices invited patients to health promotion session
9 practices followed up with scripted calls by trained bi-lingual advocates
Patients with bowel cancer, palliative care needs or opted out were excluded

Discussion
• Uptake was 9% higher in the ‘health promotion over phone’ practices (45%) compared to control practices (36%)
• People who have ever completed a kit have around 80% uptake at subsequent invitation - regardless of intervention
• Uptake in ‘never-screened’ people increased from 13% to 24% in HP over phone practices
• Only 50% targeted people were reachable by phone; can this be improved?
• Cost effective; £6 per person targeted

Replicating the protocol through the Network Service search tools:
- 60 year olds
- ‘DNAs’

Use searches to:
1. Phone people who in the last month
- turned 60
- had a DNA result
Use script provided to support kit completion
Request a replacement kit if necessary 0800 707 6060
Record on bowel screening template
Targets for payment:
70% of people contacted by phone around 60 th birthday
50% DNAs contacted by phone
2. If unable to contact by phone send letter using template
Record on bowel screening template
Targets for payment:
30% 60 year olds sent endorsement letter
40% DNAs sent endorsement letter

Finally - opportunistic endorsement
An EMIS pop-up flags patients with a DNA result in the last 2 years
Use opportunity to endorse bowel screening during consultation,
LTC reviews or NHS Health Check
BUT
Don’t rely on pop ups…..
1. They can be disabled by the practice
2. If “bowel screening endorsed” is recorded, flag will disappear for good
3. Most practices have received electronic results for < 2 years
4. SO if patient is 60 – 74, check result on bowel screening template
Target for payment:
30% of patients aged 60 – 70 with bowel screening discussion recorded