Transformation Partners in Health and Care > Resources > London good practice screening guide: breast, cervical and bowel

This good practice guide to cancer screening in London provides primary care with a practical how-to guide of evidence-based recommendations representing the current best practice in cancer screening.

For most Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), cancer remains the largest single cause of premature death. Cancer screening is crucial in preventing and detecting cancer. It offers a significant opportunity to diagnose more cancers earlier, and to improve outcomes for patients by treating cancers sooner. Improving the uptake of cancer screening in all groups will help ICBs towards meeting indicators in their NHS Outcomes Framework to reduce premature deaths.

The three cancer screening programmes (breast, cervical and bowel) are delivered by the NHS through screening centres (bowel and breast) or in primary care (cervical). This reference guide highlights areas of good practice in primary care. The guide will help practices to support screening participation in their populations, including those who often find services hard to reach. It will increase the number of cancers prevented and detected earlier to improve survival and reduce mortality from cancer.

This good practice guide provides primary care with a practical how- to guide of evidence-based recommendations representing the current best practice in cancer screening. Late stage cancer diagnosis compared to early stage diagnosis results in poorer survival rates, worse patient experience and significantly increases costs. Improving cancer screening uptake will enable ICBss to meet indicators in their outcomes frameworks and support delivery of proactive and coordinated London primary care standards.