NHS Urges People in Their 50s to Return Bowel Cancer Screening Kits

The NHS has urged people in their 50s to complete at-home bowel cancer screening after official figures showed low return rates for the kits. NHS England data indicate a little over half of 54-year-olds completed the tests last year, compared with 74 percent of those aged 70 to 74.

Free kits are sent every two years to all 50- to 74-year-olds in England, Wales and Scotland. Northern Ireland currently sends tests to people aged 60 to 74 registered with a GP and is considering expanding the age range. The kits, known as the faecal immunochemical test, require a tiny stool sample that is checked for hidden blood.

The NHS said its screening programmes diagnosed at least 100 cancers per week on average between April 2024 and March 2025.

“Bowel cancer can develop without any symptoms, but catching it early saves lives." — Prof Peter Johnson, NHS national clinical director for cancer One woman in Wigan who returned her kit at age 54 was diagnosed with early-stage bowel cancer despite having no symptoms. She underwent surgery but avoided chemotherapy and radiotherapy.”

Officials noted that people in their 50s have busy lives and expressed concern about the lower return rates in that group. Cancer Research UK said more than 130 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer each day in the UK, accounting for about 12 percent of all new cancer cases.

The NHS posts about 8.7 million kits annually. The programme began as a pilot in 2021 and was expanded to all eligible ages from January 2025.