A MISSION to promote free bowel cancer tests is being launched from a bus.
Staff from Bowel Screening Wales will be board “Doris” on April 12 from 11am to 4pm at the Lakeside Surgery, Wellington Road to encourage residents in Rhyl to take up the offer of free bowel cancer screening.
The bus travels into the heart of communities on a mission to help people get over their embarrassment and do the NHS bowel cancer test.
Advice and information about bowel screening and how to spot possible symptoms will be on offer, together with free goody bags.
Hayley Heard, Head of Bowel Screening Wales, said: “We are delighted to be able to borrow Doris the bus for this pro-active health promotion campaign during Bowel Cancer Awareness Month.
“More than 425 cancers have been detected to date since the NHS bowel screening programme was launched in 2008, so we know that the test does save lives.
“If people are diagnosed at an earlier stage, when treatment can be more effective, then bowel cancer is one of the most treatable cancers. However, we can only continue to save lives if people actually do the test when it arrives through the post.”
Latest figures show that 56 per cent of people in Wales are completing the home testing kit, which is sent to those between 60 and 71.
The kit looks for hidden blood in faeces. It does not diagnose bowel cancer, but the presence of blood could indicate a problem which may require further tests.
For more information about Bowel Screening Wales, visit the website and You Tube Channel at: www.screeningservices.org/bsw and http://youtube.com/user/BowelScreeningWales
For more information on Bowel Cancer UK visit: www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk.