Members of Hamilton bowling club joined NHS Lanarkshire bowel screening champion Jack Ferguson to help launch a web link to the national bowel screening programme which has been added to the website of the Lanarkshire Bowlers Association.
It now means all of Lanarkshire’s 20,000 bowlers will be just a click away from getting up to date information on the screening programme when they check in the bowling website for results, league tables and other bowling information.
Jack Ferguson from Hillhouse said: “It’s great that the bowlers have given their backing to the bowel screening programme in this way.
“All the evidence shows that bowel screening saves lives.
“Around 90 per cent of those identified as having bowel cancer through screening can be treated successfully.
“The more people who take part in the screening the more potential there is to save lives.”
Everyone aged between 50 and 74 will be sent the kit to their home every two years.
NHS Lanarkshire consultant in public health Dr Jennifer Darnborough is overseeing the Lanarkshire programme,
She said: “It’s simple and easy to do the test at home and there is even a pre-paid envelope to post the kit back to the national screening centre laboratory.
“Here kits are examined for traces of blood which can be a sign of bowel cancer.”
Results are sent back to people within seven working days. Most people will have a negative test result but 1 in 50 people (two per cent) will need further tests such as a colonoscopy to check for bowel cancer or some other cause of the bleeding.
To promote the screening initiative, NHS Lanarkshire has local champions, like Jack Ferguson, who attend local community groups to explain the process.
If you would like to arrange for a champion to speak to your group about bowel screening contact NHS Lanarkshire communications officer Eddie Docherty on 01698 245213, or e-mail: eddie.docherty@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk
To find out more about bowel cancer visit www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk
For more information on the screening initiative visit www.bowelscreening.scot.nhs.uk