Overview
- New NHS figures for April 2024 to March 2025 show just 56.2% of 54-year-olds completed their mailed FIT test compared with 73.5% of 70–74-year-olds, revealing a marked participation gap for people in their 50s.
- Overall programme uptake fell to 65.2% in 2024–25, down from 67.6% the year before, even as the screening expansion to younger ages was completed and almost 1 million more people were invited.
- The NHS sends around 8.7 million faecal immunochemical test (FIT) kits by post every year and nearly 5.2 million people returned one in 2024–25; a positive FIT letter typically leads to follow-up tests such as a colonoscopy.
- Screening detected about 100 bowel cancers per week on average in the year to March 2025 and patient stories, including a 54-year-old who had early-stage cancer found and treated after returning her kit, illustrate how screening can avoid more intensive treatment.
- NHS England and leading cancer charities are urging anyone aged 50–74 to do and return their FIT kit promptly because even a few minutes at home can materially increase the chance of catching bowel cancer early and meeting national early-diagnosis goals.