There is a wealth of information about Faecal Immunochemical Testing for Health Professionals in Primary Care on the Bowel cancer screening web pages from Cancer Research UK. You can find links to these resources below.
The bowel screening programme is intended for people without any signs or symptoms suggestive of bowel cancer. The eligibility criteria varies for the UK nations as follows:
- England: people aged 54 to 74 years who are registered with a GP. NHS England is gradually expanding the programme to people aged between 50 and 59.
- Northern Ireland: people aged 60 to 74 years who are registered with a GP.
- Scotland: people aged 50 to 74 years with a CHI (Community Health Index) number.
- Wales: everyone aged 50 to 74 years who is registered with a GP and living in Wales. People aged 50 will start to be invited between October 2024 and July 2025.
Visit Cancer Research UK’s healthcare professional web pages to find out more about FIT for Screening.
Regional Information
Choose your nation from the tabs below, to ensure you are reading the most relevant and up-to-date information for your area.
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Bowel Cancer Screening good Practice Guide
A publication from Cancer Research UK providing primary care health professionals practical tools and information to support their practice population to participate in bowel cancer screening through informed choice. Sections include an overview of bowel cancer stats and screening eligibility, the role of primary care supporting informed choice, practical steps to support uptake, identifying inequalities in your local population and safety netting.
Tips For Collecting Your Poo
A pictographic guide produced by CRUK which outlines how a patient should obtain a stool sample for the purpose of a FIT test in England, and a simple step-by-step guide on how to complete the test.
Tips For Collecting Your Poo Patient Guide | Cancer Research UK
Key Things to Know About FIT – Screening vs. Symptomatic
The Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) is a type of faecal occult blood test used to detect traces of human blood in stool samples.
- FIT is the primary test in the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (BCSP), aimed at people without symptoms.
- It is also used in primary or secondary care to guide the management of people who present with symptoms.
- There are key differences between each use of FIT which are important for health professionals to know. For example, the symptomatic threshold for a positive result (normally 10µg Hb/g) is lower than the screening threshold.
For more guidance on the use of FIT for symptomatic patients visit https://www.cruk.org.fit-symptomatic
Key things to know about FIT in England guide | Cancer Research UK
How to do the bowel cancer screening test in England - Animated Video
Guide to Reducing Inequalities in Cancer Screening
Taking part in screening is an individual choice, but it must be a choice that is equally available to all. It’s crucial to reduce inequalities in cancer screening uptake and as a minimum ensure that interventions do not exacerbate inequalities. Cancer Research UK have developed a guide that offers practical tips to help reduce inequalities, as well as signposting to further resources and information.
Bowel Cancer Screening Good Practice Guide
A publication from Cancer Research UK providing primary care health professionals practical tools and information to support their practice population to participate in bowel cancer screening through informed choice. Sections include an overview of bowel cancer stats and screening eligibility, the role of primary care supporting informed choice, practical steps to support uptake, identifying inequalities in your local population and safety netting.
Tips For Collecting Your Poo
A pictographic guide produced by CRUK which outlines how a patient should obtain a stool sample for the purpose of a FIT test in Scotland, and a simple step-by-step guide on how to complete the test.
Tips For Collecting Your Poo Patient Guide | Cancer Research UK
Key Things to Know About FIT – Screening vs. Symptomatic
The Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) is a type of faecal occult blood test used to detect traces of human blood in stool samples.
- FIT is the primary test in the Scottish Bowel Screening Programme (SBoSP), aimed at people without symptoms.
- It is also used in primary or secondary care to guide the management of people who present with symptoms.
- There are key differences between each use of FIT which are important for health professionals to know. For example, the symptomatic threshold for a positive result (normally 10µg Hb/g) is lower than the screening threshold.
For more guidance on the use of FIT for symptomatic patients visit https://www.cruk.org.fit-symptomatic
Key things to know about FIT in Scotland guide | Cancer Research UK
How to do the bowel cancer screening test in Scotland - Animated Video
Guide to Reducing Inequalities in Cancer Screening
Taking part in screening is an individual choice, but it must be a choice that is equally available to all. It’s crucial to reduce inequalities in cancer screening uptake and as a minimum ensure that interventions do not exacerbate inequalities. Cancer Research UK have developed a guide that offers practical tips to help reduce inequalities, as well as signposting to further resources and information.
Bowel Cancer Screening Good Practice Guide
A publication from Cancer Research UK providing primary care health professionals practical tools and information to support their practice population to participate in bowel cancer screening through informed choice. Sections include an overview of bowel cancer stats and screening eligibility, the role of primary care supporting informed choice, practical steps to support uptake, identifying inequalities in your local population and safety netting.
Tips For Collecting Your Poo
A pictographic guide produced by CRUK which outlines how a patient should obtain a stool sample for the purpose of a FIT test in Wales, and a simple step-by-step guide on how to complete the test.
Tips For Collecting Your Poo Patient Guide | Cancer Research UK
Key Things to Know About FIT – Screening vs. Symptomatic
The Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) is a type of faecal occult blood test used to detect traces of human blood in stool samples.
- FIT is the primary test in the NHS Bowel Screening Wales (BSW) programme, aimed at people without symptoms.
- It is also used in primary or secondary care to guide the management of people who present with symptoms.
- There are key differences between each use of FIT which are important for health professionals to know. For example, the symptomatic threshold for a positive result (normally 10µg Hb/g) is lower than the screening threshold.
For more guidance on the use of FIT for symptomatic patients visit https://www.cruk.org/fit-symptomatic
Key things to know about FIT in Wales guide | Cancer Research UK
How to do the bowel cancer screening test in Wales - Animated Video
Guide to Reducing Inequalities in Cancer Screening
Taking part in screening is an individual choice, but it must be a choice that is equally available to all. It’s crucial to reduce inequalities in cancer screening uptake and as a minimum ensure that interventions do not exacerbate inequalities. Cancer Research UK have developed a guide that offers practical tips to help reduce inequalities, as well as signposting to further resources and information.
Bowel Cancer Screening Good Practice Guide
A publication from Cancer Research UK providing primary care health professionals practical tools and information to support their practice population to participate in bowel cancer screening through informed choice. Sections include an overview of bowel cancer stats and screening eligibility, the role of primary care supporting informed choice, practical steps to support uptake, identifying inequalities in your local population and safety netting.
Key Things to Know About FIT – Screening vs. Symptomatic
The Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) is a type of faecal occult blood test used to detect traces of human blood in stool samples.
- FIT is the primary test in the Northern Ireland Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (NI BCSP), aimed at people without symptoms.
- It is also used in primary or secondary care to guide the management of people who present with symptoms.
- There are key differences between each use of FIT which are important for health professionals to know. For example, the symptomatic threshold for a positive result (normally 10µg Hb/g) is lower than the screening threshold.
For more guidance on the use of FIT for symptomatic patients visit https://www.cruk.org.fit-symptomatic
Key things to know about FIT in Northern Ireland guide | Cancer Research UK
How to do the bowel cancer screening test in Northern Ireland - Animated Video
Guide to Reducing Inequalities in Cancer Screening
Taking part in screening is an individual choice, but it must be a choice that is equally available to all. It’s crucial to reduce inequalities in cancer screening uptake and as a minimum ensure that interventions do not exacerbate inequalities. Cancer Research UK have developed a guide that offers practical tips to help reduce inequalities, as well as signposting to further resources and information.