Blow for Bowel Cancer Screening Hopes

11.44.52am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 27th Mar 2006

Local St Margaret's charity, Beating Bowel Cancer, was hoping this week to celebrate the launch of a national screening programme in the coming financial year. Ministers had given categorical and repeated assurances that this would happen. But strong indications are now being given by the Department of Health that the programme may be a casualty of the current financial crisis in the NHS.

Vincent Cable MP has put down an urgent question in Parliament today to obtain an answer before Parliament breaks up: "This is a very worrying development. Great progress has been made in saving lives through breast and cervical cancer treatment. The next step was bowel cancer screening. Bowel cancer is a major killer amongst men. The local campaigning group, Beating Bowel Cancer, through its Loud Tie Campaign and in other ways, has been successful in securing priority for this initiative. Until very recently, everything was going to plan. Now strong rumours are emerging that the plug is being pulled on the programme. It would be a disaster if that was the case."