Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust has launched new free lung health checks in a bid to improve earlier diagnosis of lung cancer and ‘save more lives’.
The new The Targeted Lung Health Check programme will see GPs invite those aged 55 to 74 living in the Portsmouth area for lung checks over the next two years.
Split into two phases, the lung checks will involve an initial phone assessment with a trained health care advisor. If the patient is found to be of high risk, they will be offered a health check with a nurse and a CT scan of the lungs.
According to the trust, more than 23,000 past and current smokers will be invited for a check-up, which offers the opportunity for earlier interventions such as curative surgery, the organisation says.
The practices and surgeries, part of the Brunel Health Network, involved in the checks include:
- East Shore Practice
- Baffin
- Milton Park
- Southsea Medical Centre
- Devonshire Avenue
- Uni-City Medical Centre
Dr Ben Green, Targeted Lung Health Check Programme Lead and Respiratory Consultant, commented on the new initiative: “Getting a free NHS lung health check is really important and we would encourage all people between the age of 55 and 74 in Portsmouth, who have ever smoked, to take up the offer.
“This programme is designed to check those most at risk of developing lung cancer in order to spot tumours early, enabling us to make the early diagnosis essential for getting curative treatment and improving survival from lung cancer.”
Chief Operating Officer at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, Chris Evans said: “It is fantastic to see the start of our Targeted Lung Health Check programme in Portsmouth and it is a key milestone in the national NHS Long Term Plan ambitions of catching more cancers at an earlier stage when they are easier to treat.”
