Heartbeat: It’s time to talk about poo

April 19, 2023

The bowel cancer screening service at the Trust is just one of a few in the country to test people from the age of 56 as part of a roll out by NHS England.

The lifesaving test is sent to the homes of Sandwell and West Birmingham residents who are then asked to follow the instructions which involves taking a sample of their poo and sending it back to the laboratory.

A positive result is then investigated further. Around 1,900 people are written to every week, inviting them to take part in the screening programme, with our current uptake at 55 per cent.

One patient who experienced a positive result is Mr Rai, now aged 57. The dad-of-three carried out the test when he received it through the post last year.

He explained: “I didn’t hesitate in doing the test. It was a no brainer to me – a free NHS test that potentially could save my life, there was nothing to really stop me.

“When I received the positive result, of course I was worried, but I went for the colonoscopy and they found two polyps which were precancerous. These were removed.”

A colonoscopy is a test to check inside the bowels. A long, thin, flexible tube with a small camera inside it is passed into the bottom and it is able to capture the inside of the bowel where polyps can be found.

These polyps are small growths on the inner lining of the large intestine (colon) or rectum. Most are harmless. But over time, some can develop into colon cancer.

Mr Rai added: “I was relieved that they were caught at an early stage as further down the line it would have been too late and they would have turned into cancer. The poo testing kit saved my life. I can’t stress the importance of the bowel screening test. If you have received one through the post, then I would urge you to make sure you do the test. I am still under the care of the team and undergo screening every two years.”

Anna Twum-Barima, specialist screening practitioner, said: “The poo testing kit is a life-saver and it’s a very simple procedure to carry out in the comfort of your own home. We’ve been rolling it out to people aged 56 and upwards for a while and we are seeing good uptake.

“We have a team who are continually engaging with the community to spread the word about screening and we even have a giant inflatable bowel that educates people. They find it extremely interesting when they have a look around.

“We have also created a video which demonstrates how simple the whole testing process is.”