BOWEL
A kit through the post
Everyone aged 50 to 74 registered with a GP is sent a home test kit every 2 years. It checks a small poo sample for blood, and postage is free.
See every testScreening looks for problems before symptoms start.
The NHS in England invites adults for a handful of screening tests at set ages, from a bowel test kit through the post to a one-off scan for men at 65. Each one is a choice, and knowing the timetable helps you spot an invitation you may have missed.
Updated
Find your testsTHE SHORT ANSWER
Four tests most
adults are offered.
Bowel, breast, cervical and AAA screening cover most adults.
Who is invited depends on age and sex.
BREAST
Every 3 years from 50
Women aged 50 up to their 71st birthday are invited every three years, at clinics or mobile units. Women over 70 can refer themselves.
See the numbers
YOUR CHOICE
Screening is not a diagnosis
A normal result means low risk now, not never. A higher-risk result leads to further tests. The NHS says every screening test is a choice.
What results meanGeneral information only, not medical advice. For advice about your own health, speak to a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified health professional.
A QUICK SCREENING CHECK
Which tests,
at what age?
Pick a screening programme to see who is invited in England and how often. The bar shows how often people are invited, from regular to once only.
Based on NHS website guidance on screening in England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own programmes. This is general information, not personal medical advice.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
Most women attend,
and cancers are found early.
Two figures from the NHS Breast Screening
Programme in England, 2024/25.
71.8%
Eligible women up to date with breast screening
Up 1.8 percentage points on the previous year. Around three in ten women did not take up their invitation, and first-time attendance reached 63.6%, the highest in a decade.
COVERAGE · NHS ENGLAND
19,291
Cancers found through breast screening, 2024/25
A rate of 9 cases in every 1,000 women screened, up almost 16% on the year before, as 1.94 million women aged 50 to 70 attended within six months of their invitation.
DETECTION · NHS ENGLAND
NHS England notes that breast screening has risks too: some women are diagnosed and treated for slow-growing cancers that might never have caused harm, and mammograms do not always find a cancer that is there.
FOUR THINGS YOU CAN DO
Keep your screening
on track.
Invitations come automatically if you are registered with a GP, but letters get lost and addresses change. These steps come from NHS guidance.
Keep your GP details up to date
Invitations are based on your GP registration, so make sure your surgery has your current details.
Chase a missing bowel kit
If you are 50 to 74 and think you should have had a kit, call the free helpline on 0800 707 6060.
Self-refer when it is allowed
Women over 70 can ask for breast screening, and men over 65 who missed AAA screening can contact their local service.
Read the leaflet, then decide
Each invitation comes with an information leaflet. You can discuss the test with a health professional and decide whether it is right for you.
WHAT A RESULT MEANS
Low risk is not
no risk.
A normal, screen negative result means you are at low risk of the condition at the moment, not that you will never develop it. A higher-risk, screen positive result means you may have the condition, and you will be offered diagnostic tests to find out.
Screening tests are not 100% accurate. False positives can lead to unnecessary tests or treatment, and false negatives can miss a problem. Whatever your result, the NHS advises speaking to a GP about any symptoms or concerns rather than waiting for your next screening.
Questions
Questions people ask
Who decides which screening the NHS offers?
An independent expert group, the UK National Screening Committee, advises the NHS in all four UK countries on which screening programmes to offer.
How often is cervical screening?
Women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 64 in England are invited every 5 years, according to the NHS website.
Can I get bowel screening after 74?
Yes. If you are 75 or over you can ask for a home test kit every 2 years by calling the free bowel cancer screening helpline on 0800 707 6060.
Why is AAA screening only for men?
Men are more likely to have an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Screening is recommended for anyone assigned male at birth, including trans women and non-binary people assigned male at birth.
Do I have to go?
No. Screening is always a choice. The NHS says to read the information leaflet, discuss it with a health professional if you want to, and decide what is right for you.
Sources
Where the facts come from
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