Newcastle and Gateshead Lung Cancer Screening Service

Newcastle and Gateshead Lung Cancer Screening Service Logo

Tell us about your organisation:

The Newcastle and Gateshead Lung Cancer Screening Service is an NHS programme designed to save lives by finding lung cancer early, often before symptoms develop. People aged 55-74 who have ever smoked or who are current smokers will be invited for a free Lung Health Check. 

If they are at higher risk, they may be offered a quick painless low-dose CT scan to look for any early signs of Lung Cancer. Finding lung cancer early means treatment is more likely to be successful, giving people the best possible chance of a cure. The service also provides advice on stop smoking services and supports people every step of the way through the screening process.

Tell us why being a Haref Ally is important for you and your organisation:

By becoming a Haref Ally, we are committing to listening to our communities, learning from their lived experiences, and adapting our lung cancer screening service so that everyone - regardless of their ethnicity, culture or background - has an equal opportunity to benefit from early detection and potentially lifesaving treatment. Our lung cancer screening navigators identify and reduce inequalities in lung cancer screening, improve engagement with underserved communities, and ensure that people who are eligible for screening have the knowledge, confidence and support they need to attend.

Tell us about anything that you or your organisation has done to improve how you work with ethnically marginalised communities:

Although our work is still developing, we have already taken several positive steps to improve how we engage with ethnically marginalised communities and to ensure our NHS Lung Cancer Screening programme is as accessible and inclusive as possible. 

On 31st July we attended a health promotion event at the Gurdwara providing information about the NHS Lung Cancer Screening Programme, answering questions and engaging directly with members of the local community in a trusted setting. We have also contacted every GP practice across Newcastle and Gateshead, offering education and awareness sessions for both staff and patients to increase understanding of the Lung Cancer Screening Programme, and encourage eligible people to take up their invitation. 

In addition, we are developing links with community pharmacies to widen access to information and help people who may not engage with other healthcare services. To further strengthen our outreach, we have booked a health promotion stand at the MELA festival at the end of August this year. This will provide an excellent opportunity to engage with a large and diverse audience, raise awareness of Lung Cancer Screening, answer questions and promote early detection in an inclusive and culturally appropriate environment. 

Just some of these activities plus many more reflect our commitment to reducing health inequalities, improving access to screening and building trusted relationships with communities who have traditionally been underrepresented in cancer screening programmes.

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