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Guidance

Your guide to NHS bowel cancer screening

These information leaflets accompany bowel cancer screening invitations.

Updates to this page

From:
NHS England
Published:
1 February 2011
Last updated:
23 June 2025
Show all updates

  1. Changed page title and content type.

  2. Update to English leaflet and translations to reflect the completed rollout of age extension for the bowel screening programme to people aged 50 years. Audio transcript and BSL video versions added as attachments.

  3. Adding Vietnamese translation requested by user

  4. Minor edits to bring the translations in line with the English version.

  5. Added a direct link to the audio version, available on SoundCloud.

  6. Added an audio transcript for a podcast version of the leaflet.

  7. Updated the leaflet heading based on latest insights from user testing.

  8. Clarification made to section on how we use personal information.

  9. Results statistics updated in line with programme data.

  10. Added 30 new translations in HTML.

  11. Removed PHE screening helpdesk information and updated with NHS England contact details.

  12. Review of the bowel helping you decide information to improve readability.

  13. Updating confidentiality section, replacing mention of Public Health England with NHS England.

  14. Amending wording on risk to read: 'In rare cases, people have died following colonoscopy complications. However, the most recent published national colonoscopy audit recorded no deaths. The audit looked at 20,085 colonoscopies carried out for both screening and symptom investigations.'

  15. Addition of plain A4 PDF version for printing, to provide for people unable to access this information online.

  16. Added lifetime screening pathway animations to the landing page.

  17. Added information on using a textphone service to contact the screening programme helpline.

  18. Added animation to show how to use the home testing kit.

  19. Added leaflet relating to new FIT kit, accessible version of leaflet, and 10 translations.

  20. Addition of link to new audio version of leaflet

  21. First published.

Applies to England

Documents

Your guide to NHS bowel cancer screening

HTML

Audio transcript: Your guide to NHS bowel screening podcast

HTML

British Sign Language (BSL) signed content: Taking part in NHS bowel cancer screening

HTML

Details

This leaflet is sent out with all invitations to take part in bowel cancer screening.

Free printed copies of this leaflet are provided for the NHS bowel cancer screening programme hubs (or their mail distributors) to send to people with screening invitations.

For more information, see the ‘order printed leaflets’ section of our guidance on how to access and order leaflets.

This information is also available in HTML format for print for people who cannot access digital information.

Instructions on how to use the home test kit are available in English and 30 other languages. There is also a short animation explaining how to use the kit with subtitled versions in English, British Sign Language and other languages.

Resources for people with a learning disability and people with low levels of literacy include:

Translations of the leaflet are available.

To request another format, you can phone 0300 311 22 33 or email england.contactus@nhs.net.

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