05/02/2026
Plans to lower the threshold for the home-testing kit for bowel cancer screening will be in place in Lincolnshire from April 2026.
The Lincolnshire Bowel Cancer Screening Team will be among the first wave of areas nationally to introduce the change, which will help detect the potential signs of bowel cancer earlier.
The home-testing kit, known as the faecal immunochemical test (FIT), is offered to all people over 50 years old and checks for blood in a small stool sample.
NHS England announced the change to the national programme in January 2026, and estimates the change could help detect around 600 more bowel cancers early each year in England – around an 11% increase. It also estimates the change will find 2,000 more people with high-risk polyps in their bowel, allowing patients to have preventative treatment before any cancers develop.
Kirstie Cartledge, Lead Specialist Screening Practitioner at United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Our Lincolnshire Bowel Cancer Screening team are excited to be part of the Wave 1 roll out of this change, launching in April 2026.
“This lower threshold for testing will capture more bowel cancers, where you might be showing no symptoms even earlier. We hope this will support improved outcomes for Lincolnshire’s residents.
“If you get a test kit in the post, please complete and return it - it can truly be a lifesaver.”
The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme in Lincolnshire offers screening every two years to everyone aged 50 to 74 who is registered with a GP.
Those eligible will be automatically contacted through the post with their invitation to take part in bowel cancer screening.
People aged over 74 can request a screening kit by calling the free phone helpline 0800 707 6060.
