LUNG checks that have saved hundreds of lives across Cheshire and Merseyside will launch in Southport and Formby at the end this month.

NHS Lung Cancer Screening has been finding lung problems – including cancer at its earliest stages when it is much easier to treat successfully – for several years in Liverpool, Halton, Knowsley, St Helens, Wirral, Warrington and south Sefton, and will roll out in the Southport and Formby Primary Care Network (PCN) area from:- 27 January 2026.

More than 2.5million people in England aged 55 to 74 who smoke or used to smoke have already been invited for Lung Cancer Screening as part of the biggest programme to improve early lung cancer diagnosis in health service history. The free checks pinpoint those most at risk and they are offered a chest scan to rule out health problems or prompt more investigation or treatment.

In Cheshire and Merseyside, since checks began in 2019, more than 700 lung cancers have been found, with 80% diagnosed at the early stages of 1 or 2 when treatment is easier. People diagnosed with lung cancer at an early stage are nearly 20 times more likely to survive for 5 years than those whose disease is found late.

Lung Cancer Screening – formerly known as Targeted Lung Health Checks – will be offered to eligible patients from 14 GP practices in the PCN on over several months. People will receive an appointment for the check in a text or letter before a telephone interview with a member of the screening team. If the patient is classed as higher risk, they will be offered a CT scan in a mobile unit which will be situated on the car park of Dunes Leisure Centre, on Southport’s Esplanade. This scan is far more accurate at picking up cancer than a standard X-ray. The programme also offers support on how best to quit smoking for those who are ready to give up.

Lung cancer is the UK’s biggest cancer killer, claiming the lives of more people than breast, prostate and pancreatic cancers combined. It is a particular issue in parts of Cheshire and Merseyside, with local incidence significantly above the national average.

However, Lung Cancer Screening can significantly improve survival rates by detecting cancer much earlier, even before symptoms appear. But for the checks to work, people need to attend their appointment – even if they feel well.

Dr Chris Warburton, Lung Cancer Screening Clinical Director of Programme, said:- “We are delighted that eligible people in Southport and Formby will soon be able to have these checks. We’ve seen the amazing impact of them since the programme was 1st launched. Lung cancer can be difficult to detect early, which is why so many people are diagnosed when the disease has become incurable. But screening is helping us to diagnose more people earlier when cancer is far easier to treat. That’s why we want everyone who is given an appointment to attend it. The chances are that you won’t have any symptoms of lung problems – but should have the check whether you feel well or not. For the majority of those who attend, everything will be fine, but for those who do have something wrong, catching it early can make all the difference. Screening is painless, quick, convenient, and free of charge, so if you are given an appointment for one. Please do not ignore it.”

For more information about Lung Cancer Screening in Cheshire and Merseyside, click here.