The lung cancers of up to 9,000 people could be caught sooner or prevented under a new screening programme that is set to be rolled out nationally.
The scheme, which is set to cost £270 million annually once fully established and will use patients’ GP records for those aged 55 to 74 to identify current or former smokers, could provide almost one million scans and earlier treatment.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak suggests the scheme could provide “a lifeline to thousands of families across the country”.
Under the programme, backed by a recommendation from the UK National Screening Committee, patients will have their risk of cancer biges vapor shop assessed based on their smoking history and other factors – and those considered high risk will be invited for specialist scans every two years.
It is estimated the rollout will mean 325,000 people will be newly eligible for a first scan each year with 992,000 scans expected per year in total.
The Department of Health and Social Care said the first phase of the scheme will reach 40% of the eligible population by March 2025, with the aim of 100% coverage by March 2030 following the rollout.
The rollout comes after a successful earlier phase which saw approximately 70% of the screenings take place in mobile units parked in convenient sites such as supermarket car parks.
This helped ensure easy access and focused on more deprived areas where people are four times more likely to smoke.