Trans and gender diverse populations

Trans men assigned as female at birth who have a cervix and/or breasts should still be invited to screening, but can be missed if they are listed as “male” at the GP. More information about Trans and non-binary cancer screening.

A website to support healthcare and community professionals in starting conversations about screening for breast, bowel and cervical cancers with people living in Cheshire and Merseyside has been launched Early Detect Early Protect.

General Information

Professional resources regarding all three national screening programmes can be found on the CRUK website:Cancer Screening | Health professional support and resources

Our colleagues in the North West have produced the following resources:

The Care Coordinators toolkit is on the NHS Futures Page (North West Care Co-ordinator toolkit Improving Uptake of NHS Screening Programmes v2.00 – NHSE North West Public Health Commissioning Team (S7a Screening and Immunisation Programmes) – FutureNHS Collaboration Platform

This is a document developed with a Liverpool Care Coordinator and contains a whole host of practical ways Care Coordinators working in practices can improve uptake rates and gives instructions on how to set up searches on GP systems for non responders, tips on how to approach conversations along with many other suggestions.

Breast: Working with the Breast Screening Programme to support non responders to take up the offer of screening

Pages 17-22 of the Care Coordinator toolkit above explains how colleagues in primary care can set up a search for non-responders, have telephone conversations with them and then liaise with the Breast Screening Programme to support individuals to book an appointment.

Bowel

Bowel Screening Coverage – % of Eligible People 60-74 Screened within the previous 30 months (target thresholds achievable 60%, acceptable 50%)

  • Intervention 1: 3rd party requests – for any practice not achieving 60% coverage (Pages 23-27 of the Care Coordinators toolkit)Third party requests enable the GP practice staff/ care coordinators to electronically request a kit for a non-responder on the individual’s behalf, therefore simplifying the process.GP practices with uptake less than 60% (this information can be viewed via Public health profiles – OHID) are eligible to sign up to 3rd party requests by contacting the Hub via bowelscreening@nhs.net.An agreement form and best practice checklist will be shared with the GP practice to switch on 3rd party requests and to support in identifying eligible registered patients. For non-responders where additional needs are identified as a barrier to accessing screening, the Hub can also be informed of this via the same process and ensure reasonable adjustments are made for example, requiring translated materials or adapted kits/ braille due to severe sight impairment.
  • Intervention 2: Re-engaging with the screening pathway. It is also important to be aware of individuals who have had a positive screening result but have not continued with the pathway. These individuals are at significant risk of having bowel cancer or pre cancerous condition, however, have declined colonoscopy intervention and therefore discharged themselves from the screening pathway. When this happens the Hub notify the individuals GP practice, giving an opportunity for a conversation to discuss this and ensure the individual understands the potential risks from the decision being made.

Cervical Screening

Cervical Screening Primary Care Toolkit and Best Practice Guide. This guide is intended to support primary care, highlighting key areas of guidance and giving support with addressing inequalities.Cervical Screening Primary Care Toolkit and Best Practice Guide Nov 2023 (3) – NHSE North West Public Health Commissioning Team (S7a Screening and Immunisation Programmes) – FutureNHS Collaboration Platform 

Breast & Cervical screening: Supporting individuals who have a learning disability to access screening.Disability Report – NHSE North West Public Health Commissioning Team (S7a Screening and Immunisation Programmes) – FutureNHS Collaboration Platform 

Breast Screening

The following online resources can be used for patients:

Additional Cancer Screening Resources

Targeted Lung Health Checks:

Targeted lung health checks TLHC will become a national screening programme by 2029.

In Cheshire and Merseyside a number of Places are already involved with plans to ensure that the whole population is included in the programme over the next 2 years.

Further information can be found Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital | GP Professionals – FAQs