Smokers offered free lung health checks

Current and past smokers are being offered lung checks as part of an NHS programme to catch cancer early

Current and past smokers are being offered lung checks as part of an NHS programme to catch cancer early.

Invites are being sent to more than 10,000 people in Scunthorpe, aged between 55 and 74, as part of the roll out of the programme in North Lincolnshire.

A lung health check can help to identify lung cancer and other respiratory diseases early, often before symptoms occur and when treatment could be more successful, health bosses said.

Those eligible for the checks will receive a letter inviting them to book a telephone assessment, with a follow-up CT scan in the mobile unit at Brumby Hall from November, if required.

Dr Stuart Baugh, programme director for the NHS targeted lung health check programme in the Humber and North Yorkshire said: “The service is a vital step towards better outcomes for people at highest risk of respiratory diseases.

“Not only does it help to provide most people with reassurance that their lungs are currently healthy, it also helps to detect any lung conditions early and supports people to stop smoking if they wish to do so.

The programme, which first launched in Hull in 2020, has since covered North East Lincolnshire and the East Riding of Yorkshire.

"As we continue to roll out the service across [the] Humber and North Yorkshire, we are pleased to start the invitation process for participants in North Lincolnshire," Dr Baugh added.

The scheme is being run by the Humber and North Yorkshire Cancer Alliance, part of the Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, a collaboration of health and social care organisations working together to improve health and care across the region.

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