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Screening Matters: Cancer Campaigns

Join the Screening Matters group on FacebookCancer screening saves lives. Thousands of women are alive today thanks to breast and cervical screening, while the new bowel cancer screening programme for men and women has the potential to save thousands more. But we know that even more lives could be saved.

There are four things we want the UK governments to commit to:

  • Screen at least three million more people over the next five years
  • Reduce the variation in screening across the UK
  • Reach out to people eligible for screening who aren't taking part
  • Provide the best possible screening programmes through funding, staffing and measuring success

In early 2008, CancerCampaigners bombarded MPs, MSPs and Welsh Assembly Members with emails in support of the campaign. Over 8,200 emails were sent to MPs in England, over 7,300 to MSPs in Scotland and more than 1,600 to AMs in Wales.

In Wales the Minister for Health, Edwina Hart AM, has responded to our call by giving further detail on the roll out of the bowel cancer screening programme. We are liaising with the Minister about timelines for the roll out.

In Scotland and England we wanted to find out more about local provision and uptake of cancer screening. Emails asked MPs and MSPs to write to their local PCT or Health Board respectively. We’ve had a wonderful response and the results are being put together into a report.

If you would like more information, we've put together some frequently asked questions about cancer screening and our campaign. You can also read some real stories from people who've had cancer or pre-cancerous changes picked up through cancer screening.

We’re not the only ones who think that Screening Matters. Various celebrities have pledged their support too!

Our Screening Matters campaign covers the four nations of the UK but we are also supporting moves to improve cervical cancer screening across the EU. You can sign the European Cervical Cancer Alliance petition to help stop cervical cancer in Europe.

NHS Cancer Screening Programmes’ 20th Anniversary logoThe NHS Cancer Screening Programmes are celebrating their 20th anniversary of breast and cervical screening in 2008.