Car park cancer screenings to be rolled out in attempt to boost early detection

  • Video report by ITV News reporter Martha Fairlie

Mobile cancer screenings hosted in shopping centre car parks will be offered to those at greater risk of suffering from the disease in an attempt to boost early diagnosis rates.

Potential lung cancer patients in certain parts of the country will be offered the chance to attend a community mobile screening units in the hope they could catch any potential cancer early, NHS England will announce.

Manchester hosted the pilot, funded by Macmillan Cancer Support, which saw people aged between 55 and 74 with a history of smoking invited for a lung health check at units based in shopping centre car parks or community hubs.

For every 33 members of the public screened, one case of cancer was detected by the testing.

Four out of five cancers discovered during the trial were at stage one or two - and some were even earlier in its progression.

Now NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens has announced plans to roll out the scheme in four areas across the country.

The Manchester project will be extended and three other cancer hubs will also get the green light to provide similar screening services including ones in London, the North and part of Yorkshire.

Speaking at the Economist War On Cancer event in London, Mr Stevens will say: "NHS cancer care is the best it's ever been, with cancer survival increasing every year.

"Over the next 18 months the NHS will be rolling out new mobile and home screening kits to detect cancers earlier, when they can be treated best."

Dany Bell, specialist adviser for treatment and recovery at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: "The earlier that someone is diagnosed with cancer, the better their chance of successful treatment is.

"So it's great news that this pilot scheme is now going to be rolled out across other parts of England.

"Lung cancer is a notoriously difficult type to diagnose at an early stage, and initiatives such as this make it easier for high-risk people to get their health checked."