If you’re aged 50 to 74, you should receive an NHS bowel screening (FIT) kit through the post every two years. The NHS sends this automatically to everyone in that age group.
Your FIT kit could be the most important post you’ll receive. Bowel screening can detect cancer at an early stage – and sometimes before cancer develops – making treatment more effective and helping to save lives.
The test is quick and simple to do at home and only requires a small sample of poo to check for signs of cancer.
April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, making it a great time to complete your kit. If yours is tucked away in a drawer, dig it out – or keep an eye out for your next kit arriving in the post.
Don’t put it off. Complete your FIT kit and send it back.
Find out more and take action today
Watch Dr Dawn Harper, presenter of Embarrassing Bodies, explain why bowel cancer screening matters
Visit the NHS website to learn more about bowel cancer screening
Gut feeling something’s not right?
People aged 16 to 49 living in an EX postcode can also access a free, confidential home test kit through the RAPID IBD study. Led by the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Exeter, the study supports people with ongoing abdominal pain, diarrhoea or rectal bleeding.
If a home test shows concerns, participants are seen in a specialist NHS clinic within 2–3 weeks. The study has already helped detect early bowel cancer and other serious bowel conditions, where early treatment can make a life‑changing difference.