Lower bowel cancer screening age to 30 & funding for investigation of symptoms

We call on the Government to lower the bowel cancer screening age to 30, and provide funding to ensure all patients with symptoms of bowel cancer are fully and quickly investigated, regardless of age, to help prevent further loss of life due to delayed diagnosis.

Bowel cancer is increasing in younger adults and we don't think the current approach reflects this. Early action could save lives.

The Government has no plans to lower the bowel cancer screening age to 30.

In the UK, new screening programmes and modifications to existing screening programmes are recommended by the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC). The UK NSC is an independent scientific advisory committee which advises ministers and the NHS in all four UK nations on all aspects of population and targeted screening and supports implementation.

It is only where the offer to screen provides more good than harm that a screening programme is recommended. As screening programmes can also cause harms, each of the adult screening programmes has both an upper and lower age range, within which there is good scientific evidence that the benefits of screening outweigh the harms.

The UK NSC considers all the latest scientific evidence when reviewing the case for screening for different conditions. As the policy is based on the benefits and harms to whole populations, the screening decisions are based on the effect on the whole population, rather than individual circumstances. Where there is a lack of evidence, the UK NSC cannot be confident that screening would benefit the population as a whole. In these circumstances, the proportionate approach is to screen within the range that has evidence to back the policy.

The NHS bowel screening programme in England was recently extended from 60 to 74 years old to 50 to 74 years old, aligning with the evidence of where the screening programme can do the most good with the least harm caused.

Currently the evidence does not support lowering the age of bowel screening below 50. However, the UK NSC keeps these age brackets under review, and welcomes any new evidence which suggests the case for a new or modified screening programme via its annual call: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-nsc-annual-call-submitting-a-screening-proposal/uk-nsc-annual-call-how-to-submit-a-proposal

A more sensitive threshold for the bowel screening faecal immunochemical test (FIT) of 80ug/gm, down from 120ug/gm, is being piloted, and if rolled out nationally could find 700 more colorectal cancers per year and 2,000 high risk polyps.

With regard to additional funding for investigation of symptoms of bowel cancer, we will get the NHS diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster so more patients survive, including those with bowel cancer. As the first step to ensure faster diagnosis and treatment, the NHS is delivering an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week.

We are committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the NHS to increase diagnostic capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) NG12 guidance recommends all patients with colorectal symptoms over the age of 18 (except those with an anal or rectal mass who should be referred urgently) should be offered a FIT10 test to identify those who are at high risk of colorectal cancer who should be referred on to a lower gastrointestinal (lower GI) Urgent Suspected Cancer (USC) pathway. Data from May 2025 shows that 78% of Lower GI USC referrals now have a FIT attached, demonstrating that the test is being used to identify all adults who would benefit from further investigation.

This intelligent use of FIT as a risk stratification tool in the cancer pathways has led to a significant national reduction in the number of Lower GI USC referrals, as now only those at risk of cancer are being referred. This policy change has not negatively impacted the number of cancers diagnosed and has created endoscopy capacity to extend the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening programme to those aged 50, down from 60.

In gastroenterology, we will develop an integrated pathway across primary, community and secondary care for common gastroenterology conditions. We will also drive the rapid adoption of remote monitoring in appropriate gastroenterology pathways, which reduces consultant-led outpatient appointments by over 50%. This will benefit patients being checked for gastroenterological conditions, including bowel cancer.

The NHS is delivering on steps to reduce waiting times for GI endoscopy services, including colonoscopy procedures. This includes the establishment of a national transformation project to recover GI endoscopy services, investment in an additional 80 dedicated endoscopy rooms to expand capacity, as well as a number of Community Diagnostic Centres offering endoscopy services.

Our reforms to cancer care will see more than 100,000 people, including those with bowel cancer, getting diagnosed faster, and thousands more starting treatment within 2 months. We have already hit our target of delivering 2 million extra operations, scans, and appointments 7 months early.

Through the National Cancer Plan and ongoing reforms to cancer pathways, we remain focused on accelerating diagnosis, boosting survival rates, and reducing inequalities in outcomes for people affected by bowel cancer.

Department of Health and Social Care