Screening for bowel cancer

• Abstract
• Purpose of health policy or idea
• Characteristics of this policy
• Political and economic background
• Purpose and process analysis
• Expected outcome
• References

Featured in half-yearly report: G-politik in Industrieländern 5

Abstract

The NHS Plan published in 2000 committed the Government to introducing a new national screening programme for bowel cancer. This new screening programme will be introduced in April 2006.

Purpose of health policy or idea

The UK Labour Government has committed itself to programmes that help to prevent cancer and those that improve services for people who have this disease. Consequently, the Government will introduce a new national bowel cancer screening programme for people in their sixties. £37.5 million is being committed to develop this new programme over the next two years, and it will begin in April 2006. 

Main points

Main objectives

Two methods of screening for bowel cancer have been piloted: (1) faecal occult blood testing (FOBt); (2) flexible sigmoidoscopy (FSIG). FOBt involves analysing stool samples for blood content, and has been shown in pilot studies to cut the death rate for bowel cancer by up to 15%. It is this method that is to be gradually introduced for people in their sixties from April 2006. Large scale pilots of undertaking FSIG on people in their late fifities is ongoing. Ten new endoscopy training centres have been established in order to create the human resources necessary to implement the new screening programme, and by the end of 2005 these centres would have trained at least 345 new endoscopists.

Type of incentives

£37.5 million over two years is being allocated to set up NHS Bowel Cancer Screening. Much of this money will be used to train the endoscopists needed to run the new service.

Groups affected

People in their sixties

Innovationsgrad	traditionell		innovativ
Kontroversität	unumstritten		kontrovers
Strukturelle Wirkung	marginal		fundamental
Medienpräsenz	sehr gering		sehr hoch
Übertragbarkeit	sehr systemabhängig		systemneutral

To early to tell. If it does significantly reduce cancer mortality and does not prove to be too expensive, then clearly it will be a worthwhile programme.

Political and economic background

The new programme is part of the current Government's vision in 'modernising' the NHS, and was promised in the NHS Plan published in 2000. The NHS Plan outlines the Government's intentions in developing the NHS over the 2000-2010 period.

Complies with

Need to comply with the NHS Plan

Change based on an overall national health policy statement

Purpose and process analysis

Current Process Stages

	Idee	Pilotprojekt	Strategiepapier	Gesetzgebung	Umsetzung	Evaluation	Veränderung/Richtungswechsel
Implemented in this survey?

Origins of health policy idea

The idea was put forward in the NHS Plan, and is part of the Government's  commitment to reduce the overall cancer mortality rate. Thus, the Government drove the idea, and has allocated the resources from central funds in order to establish this new programme. 

Initiators of idea/main actors

• Regierung

• Bürgergesellschaft

Approach of idea

The approach of the idea is described as:
renewed: First voiced in the NHS Plan in 2000

Stakeholder positions

The central Government has decided to introduce this programme, and, as far as I can tell, has met little resistance. Methods to tackle cancer recieve general public approval.

Actors and positions

Regierung
Ministers for Health	sehr unterstützend		stark dagegen
Bürgergesellschaft
Bowel Cancer Screening group	sehr unterstützend		stark dagegen

Influences in policy making and legislation

The Government has decided to add this programme to the NHS benefits package. The programme stems from the NHS Cancer Plan, launched by the Department of Health in 2000 with a view, over ten years, to rejuvinate, reorganise and standardise NHS cancer services. As far as I know, no formal legislation was required in order to introduce the new bowel cancer screening programme.

Actors and influence

Regierung
Ministers for Health	sehr groß		kein
Bürgergesellschaft
Bowel Cancer Screening group	sehr groß		kein

Positions and Influences at a glance

Adoption and implementation

The bowel cancer screening programme will be gradually introduced on a national level for people in their sixties from April 2006. Pilots will be ongoing for people in their late fifties.  

Monitoring and evaluation

The programme will no doubt be monitored for its success (or otherwise) but details on exactly how monitoring will be organised have not yet been forthcoming. I suspect that uptake, outcome and value for money will all be assessed in due course.

Results of evaluation

Not yet applicable, although pilot studies have suggested that the bowel cancer mortality rate could be reduced by up to 15% when the programme is available for people in their sixties.

Expected outcome

Too early to tell. Both uptake and general effectiveness will of course both determine whether the new programme will be considered good value for money.

Too early to tell.

References

Sources of Information

http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/OrganisationPolicy/Modernisation/NHSPlan/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4082690&chk=/DU1UD

http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/PressReleases/PressReleasesNotices/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4092376&chk=F1jw5w

Author/s and/or contributors to this survey

Adam Oliver

Empfohlene Zitierweise für diesen Online-Artikel:

Adam Oliver. "Screening for bowel cancer". Health Policy Monitor, March 2005. Available at http://www.hpm.org/survey/gb/a5/3