Cancer Focus Northern Ireland has welcomed today’s announcement that bowel cancer screening will be extended to more people across Northern Ireland, describing it as an important and positive step towards earlier diagnosis and improved cancer outcomes.
Health Minister Robbie Butler has announced a phased expansion of the Northern Ireland Bowel Cancer Screening Programme. From 2 November 2026, people aged 59 will begin to receive screening invitations, followed by 58-year-olds from April 2027. The programme will continue to expand until everyone aged 50 to 74 is eligible by 2031. Once fully implemented, an additional 135,000 people are expected to be invited for screening each year.
Cancer Focus NI has been calling for bowel cancer screening in Northern Ireland to be expanded to people from the age of 50, bringing the region into line with other parts of the UK.
Nora Smith, Director of Cancer Support and Prevention at Cancer Focus NI, said:
“We strongly welcome today’s announcement. This is a significant and positive step in the right direction and one that Cancer Focus NI has been calling for.
Bowel cancer screening can save lives by helping to detect cancer earlier, when treatment is more likely to be successful. Extending the programme will give thousands more people in Northern Ireland the opportunity to take part in screening, and ultimately we want to see everyone aged 50 to 74 able to benefit.
“However, today’s announcement should be seen as an important step towards achieving equity, rather than the final destination. People aged 50 to 74 are already eligible for bowel cancer screening in England, Scotland and Wales. We therefore welcome the commitment to reach this age range here, but would encourage every effort to be made to deliver the rollout as quickly and safely as possible.
There is also a second important issue that needs to be addressed, which is the sensitivity of the screening test itself. Northern Ireland currently uses a FIT threshold of 120 micrograms of blood per gram of faeces. Scotland and Wales use the more sensitive threshold of 80, while England is now moving from 120 to 80, with its phased rollout due to be completed by March 2028.
Lowering this threshold matters because a more sensitive test has the potential to identify more abnormal growths and more bowel cancers. We welcome the Department’s commitment to use evidence from the expansion to inform future reductions in Northern Ireland’s threshold, but we want to see clear ambition and a pathway for delivering this change also.
Where you live in the UK should not determine the standard of cancer screening available to you. Our ambition must be equity of access, equity in the quality of screening, and ultimately equity in cancer outcomes.”
The charity is encouraging everyone who receives a bowel cancer screening kit to complete and return it.
ENDS
Notes to editors
The Northern Ireland Bowel Cancer Screening Programme currently offers screening every two years to people aged 60 to 74.
From 2 November 2026, invitations will begin to be extended to 59-year-olds, followed by 58-year-olds from April 2027, with the programme progressively extending to everyone aged 50 to 74 by 2031.
Northern Ireland currently operates a FIT threshold of 120 µg Hb/g. Scotland and Wales use 80 µg Hb/g, while England is moving to 80 µg Hb/g through a phased rollout expected to be completed by March 2028.
The Department of Health states that lowering the screening threshold has the potential to identify more abnormal growths that can develop into cancer and detect more cancers.
