NHS England’s Targeted Lung Health Check (TLHC) Programme has been renamed as the Lung Cancer Screening Programme.
Following research recommending the change, the Targeted Lung Health Check (TLHC) Programme became known as Lung Cancer Screening from 1st February 2025.
The Lung Cancer Screening Programme aims to find lung cancer earlier, often before symptoms develop. So far, Lung Cancer Screening (formerly Targeted Lung Health Checks) has diagnosed over 5,500 people with lung cancer, over 75% of which were found at an early stage (1 or 2). This compares to less than 30% outside of screening.
Lung Cancer Screening is a programme of work funded by NHS England. It contributes to the ambition of the NHS Long Term Plan to improve early diagnosis and survival for those diagnosed with cancer.
The NHS Long Term Plan outlines a range of developments that will transform cancer care so that from 2028, an extra 55,000 people each year will survive for five years or more following their cancer diagnosis and three in four cancers (75%) will be diagnosed at an early stage.
Lung cancer is frequently diagnosed at a later stage than other cancers, due to there often being no signs at an early stage. The Lung Cancer Screening Programme targets those most at risk of lung cancer and works in partnership with the Integrated Care Boards that have some of the highest rates of mortality from lung cancer. The programme now aims to offer lung cancer screening to all eligible patients across West Yorkshire and Harrogate by 2027.
The Lung Cancer Screening Programme offers lung health checks to eligible participants who are current or former smokers. The programme aims to improve earlier diagnosis of lung cancer, at a stage when it is much more treatable.
People aged over 55 years old but less than 75 years old that have ever smoked will be invited to a free lung health check. This will include a lung cancer risk assessment, brief advice and a smoking cessation discussion and/or referral into specialist stop smoking services.
Following the lung health check those assessed as high risk will be offered a low dose Computerised Tomography (CT) scan.
More information about the lung cancer screening can be found on the NHS England website.
Read more about the NHS England campaign, led by the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, to promote take-up of targeted lung health checks
Have you received an invitation to attend lung cancer screening?
Lung Cancer Screening In West Yorkshire and Harrogate
Two Lung Cancer Screening projects are currently live across 2022/2023 - North Kirklees and Bradford District and Craven. Programme expansion will be progressed up to 2027 within Calderdale and Kirklees, Wakefield, Harrogate, and Leeds.
In addition, there have also been further pilots, such as the Yorkshire Lung Screening programme in Leeds. In addition, a total of 7775 participants from the Bradford area and 7122 participants from Wakefield have already been covered through early WYH Cancer Alliance targeted lung health check pilots. pilots. Bradford participants have also been through 24-month follow up. Both localities were selected for the pilots due to a combination of high smoking prevalence and poor associated clinical outcomes.
Read more about the Cancer Alliance Bradford and Wakefield pilots
Symptom Awareness and Promoting Lung Health Checks
West Yorkshire and Harrogate Cancer Alliance continues to collaborate to raise awareness of potential lung cancer symptoms; the need for patients to seek early help from their GP and the health benefits of smoking cessation.
This includes working with communications professionals in our partner organisations, as well as the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, the only UK charity to focus solely on lung cancer care.
Kerrie Massey is the Programme Manager for Targeted Lung Health Checks.
For more information, email wyicb-wak.
