Bowel cancer (or colorectal cancer) is a major public health problem in Scotland. It is one of the three most common causes of cancer diagnosis and death in Scotland. Together with breast and lung cancers, bowel screening accounts for over 40% of all cancer diagnosed in Scotland in 2012. Each year about 4,000 new cases are diagnosed and 95% of these are people aged 50 years and over. Although death from this disease is falling among men and women, around 1,600 people die of the disease each year in Scotland.
Bowel screening can detect pre-cancerous signs in men and women who otherwise have no symptoms, allowing investigation and treatment to be offered at a very early stage which can mean better chances of survival.
We are in the process of revising the Clinical Standards for Bowel Screening 2007 and have produced a set of draft standards for consultation.
This document sets out minimum standards for bowel screening in Scotland. These standards apply to all people in Scotland eligible to take part in the Scottish Bowel Screening Programme.
These standards can be used to reinforce national consistency and drive improvement in bowel screening services across Scotland.
