Dorset patients offered targeted lung cancer tests

The scans are being offered to current and former smokers

People in Dorset are being offered tests for lung cancer as part of a national screening programme which is being rolled out in the county.

Patients at Royal Manor Health Care GP surgery on Portland are the first to be assessed for possible lung scans.

More than 40 areas in England are trialling the checks for current and former smokers aged 55-74.

NHS England said the Targeted Lung Health Check programme would cover all areas of the country from 2024.

Lead nurse Hana Spencely said patients across Dorset would be texted over the next two to three years and invited for appointments to test their suitability for CT scans.

She said: "What we want to do is find things at an earlier stage and primarily save more lives."

In November, Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust in Hampshire said it picked up 80% of suspected cancers at a curable stage through the screening, compared to 30% before.

Lung cancer is the biggest cause of cancer deaths in the UK, accounting for about a fifth of cases.

Symptoms include a persistent cough, chest infection and breathlessness, although there are usually no signs in the early stages.