MORE than 967,000 people across the North West will now be eligible for life‑saving lung cancer screening following the expansion of a key health check programme.

As part of the forthcoming National Cancer Plan, the government will scale the Lung Cancer Screening initiative into a full national screening programme by 2030, marking a major milestone in the drive to improve early diagnosis and save more lives.

The existing lung cancer screening programme has already shown remarkable impact. More than 1.5 million people have attended a lung health check risk assessment nationally, leading to over 9,000 lung cancer diagnoses.

In the North West, the Cancer Alliance‑led programme is enabling earlier detection by offering specialist lung checks to those most at risk. To date, 590,000 people across the North West have been invited for a lung health check since 2019, with over 317,000 checks completed across the Region.

Stephen Kinnock MP, Minister of State for Care:- “Lung cancer is 1 of the biggest killers in our country, hitting hardest in our poorest communities, and for too long too many people have been diagnosed too late. By expanding lung cancer screening, we are catching the disease earlier, when patients have a better chance of effective treatment and survival. This is the National Cancer Plan in action, harnessing game‑changing technology alongside expert human care and ensuring people across the North West and beyond benefit from life‑saving innovation, no matter where they live.”

A core ambition of the National Cancer Plan is to accelerate earlier diagnosis, building on NHS initiatives and new technologies so that more cancers are detected at the earliest possible stages, when effective treatment is most achievable.

Between now and 2035, more than 6 million people are expected to be invited for screening under the national Lung Cancer Screening programme. People aged 55 to 74 who are current or former smokers will be eligible for a lung health check risk assessment, with those at higher risk going on to receive a low‑dose CT scan.

This national expansion is projected to diagnose up to 50,000 lung cancers by 2035, including at least 23,000 at an early stage. Earlier detection means simpler, more effective treatment and significantly better survival outcomes.

The rollout represents a major breakthrough in tackling 1 of the UK’s deadliest cancers. By driving earlier diagnosis, improving survival and reducing health inequalities, the expanded programme will help save thousands more lives in the years ahead.