Written question WQ96937
- Asked by
- Darren MillarConservative
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 2 days
Question
What action is the Welsh Government taking to improve access to bowel cancer testing kits for those aged 75 and over in Wales?
Answer
Answered by Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
The Welsh Government has been proactive in rolling out the Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) in Wales as part of the suspected cancer pathway for lower gastrointestinal cancers. The Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Wales issued a Welsh Health Circular in 2023, ahead of changes to cancer referral guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
This was accompanied by a nationally-agreed pathway for use by health boards as part of the lower gastrointestinal cancer pathway.
All health boards in Wales offer FIT as a standard part of the referral process for suspected bowel cancer. As part of the national approach to cancer, NHS Performance and Improvement is working with health boards to ensure there is consistency in service provision of these tests.