Introduction

Gloucestershire Bowel Cancer Screening Centre was the sixth screening centre to be rolled out in January 2007 having gone through a rigorous accreditation programme.

Who is eligible?

All men and women aged 60-74 registered with a GP in Gloucestershire will automatically be offered a faecal occult blood test (FOBt) every two years. Those over 74 years will not be invited automatically but can call the free-phone number to request their (free) kit on 0800 707 6060.

Bowel Cancer Facts

• Bowel cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in the UK
• Around 80 per cent of bowel cancers arise in people who are over 60
• There are around 35,000 cases of bowel cancer identified in the UK each year
• There are approximately 16,000 deaths a year from bowel cancer
• Although bowel cancer affects more than one in 20 people in their lifetime, 90 per cent survive if it is caught early

(Source: CRUK)

How it works?

Eligible members of the population will be sent a simple test kit to complete in the privacy of their home. This involves collecting a small sample from three separate bowel motions and, using a specially designed prepaid envelope, returning the kit to the laboratory for analysis.

The laboratory analyses the samples, looking for tiny traces of blood that may be invisible to the naked eye. The test does not diagnose bowel cancer but gives an indication as to whether further investigations are required.

If you need further investigation you will be seen in clinic by the bowel cancer screening team. A leaflet (see link below) entitled ‘Bowel Cancer Screening – The Facts’ is sent to everyone with their invitation to help them make an informed choice about whether or not to take up the opportunity of screening.

Clinics are held on site each week at: -

• Gloucestershire Royal Hospital
• Delancey Hospital

with colonoscopy lists in the Endoscopy Departments at: -

• Gloucestershire Royal Hospital
• Cheltenham General Hospital.

The Team

The Bowel Cancer Screening Team comprises: -

• Dr Trevor Brooklyn - Consultant Gastroenterologist
• Dr John Anderson - Consultant Gastroenterologist
• Professor Jonathan Brown - Consultant Gastroenterologist & Specialty Director
• Dr Paul Dunckley - Consultant Gastroenterologist
• Hilary Dowling - Specialist Screening Nurse
• Sylvia Boyle - Specialist Screening Nurse
• Sarah Dwerryhouse - Specialist  Screening Nurse
• Clare Earl - Specialist Screening Nurse
• Gwyneth Southgate - Specialist Screening Nurse
• Carol Quance - Programme Manager
• Jiyoon Knight - Administrative Assistant

Contact Us

Bowel Cancer Screening Helpline: - 0300 422 2827

Specialist screening nurses: - 0300 422 2845

Admin: - 0300 422 4305

E-mail: -

(please note the full stop between “bowel” and “cancer”)

Links

How to do the Bowel Cancer Screening Test

• Bowel Cancer Screening – The Facts
• Bowel Cancer Screening – The Colonoscopy Investigation
• The 3 Counties Cancer Network
• Bowel Cancer Information