To ask the Minister of Health to detail any consideration that has been given to implement bowel cancer screening from age 50.

The UK National Screening Committee recommend that bowel cancer screening is offered to individuals aged 50-74. Currently, in Northern Ireland, anyone aged 60-74 years old, who is registered with a GP, is eligible for screening.

Action 7 of the Northern Ireland Cancer Strategy (2022-32) has committed to reducing the sensitivity levels used in the Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) tests and lowering the age range in the NI Bowel Cancer Screening Programme, in line the UK National Screening Committee recommendation.

Work to meet the commitments to lower the age range and/or further reduce the sensitivity level is ongoing but must be viewed within the context of wider financial and capacity challenges within the supporting services. It is important to note that screening programmes are a pathway and not just a ‘test’. As such, where a Screening Programme makes changes to its eligibility, it is important that the associated infrastructure, to include diagnostic capacity and any treatments that may be required, are aligned.

Collaborative work has been ongoing between the Public Health Agency (PHA) and Queen’s University Belfast on the development of a bowel cancer screening model (taking into account both age extension and further reduction in FIT threshold). This model will contribute to informing the future approach, including how these are best phased into the programme to maximise benefits and outcomes and to provide more detailed cost information.