The Transforming Cancer Services Team (TCST) have created a poster for GP practice staff to support them in explaining to patients the correct way to complete and return a FIT. The poster has been designed by the TCST Early Diagnosis team with input and support from professionals within the London cancer community including the Cancer Alliances and Cancer Research UK.

A Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) is a test which analyses poo samples to identify possible signs of bowel disease, including bowel cancer. Across London FIT testing was implemented to assist with triaging during the COVID-19 pandemic and ease the burden on stretched colorectal teams.

New pathways including FIT testing for suspected lower gastrointestinal cancer referrals look set to continue beyond the pandemic but further work is need to ensure this testing is embedded for primary and secondary care colleagues. London labs are rejecting Faecal Immunochemical Tests (FITs) due to incorrect labelling of kits, the wrong specimen container being used or incorrect/improper closure of the container.

The TCST Early Diagnosis team developed the FIT Admin Pathway poster to spread the knowledge of the proper completion of a FIT kit and support admin staff in primary care to easily explain its use to patients. The purpose of the poster is to act as step-by-step guide for staff when speaking to patients required to complete a FIT. We hope that this poster will enable staff to give clear directions to patients so that samples are correctly collected and labels filled in and returned quickly to the surgery, which will in turn reduce the number of FITs being rejected.