The Faecal Immunochemical Testing (FIT) is a test which analyses poo samples to identify possible signs of bowel disease, including bowel cancer. FIT was introduced for use in primary care in symptomatic patients since 2019. It was also implemented across London to assist with triaging bowel cancer referrals during the COVID-19 pandemic to ease the burden on stretched specialist teams.

Comprehensive use of FIT in NG12 patients is critical to improving bowel cancer survival in England, ensuring patients on the lower GI pathway can be diagnosed promptly and using our available colonoscopy capacity in the most effective way. In July 2022, the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) and Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland (ACPGBI) published guidance recommending the use of Faecal Immunochemical Testing (FIT) to triage patients presenting in primary and secondary care with signs or symptoms of suspected colorectal cancer.