Completing a FIT – how to give a poo sample

A faecal immunochemical test (FIT) is a home test kit that you use to collect a small sample of poo.

If you have symptoms that your GP wants to explore further, they might have given you a FIT kit to complete at home.

The test detects traces of blood in your poo that are often not visible to the naked eye. Blood can be a sign of polyps or bowel cancer. Polyps are growths in the bowel. They are not cancer but may turn into cancer over time.

If the test finds anything unusual, you might be asked to go to hospital to have further tests to confirm or rule out cancer.

Your GP will want you to complete this test and bring it back to the practice as soon as possible.

The short video below explains more about FIT testing and gives tips on how to correctly collect your sample.