Published on: 12 April 2021

The mobile CT unit has made its first stop in South Doncaster at Rossington Miners Welfare as part of the Lung Health Check programme.

From now until March 2022, mobile trucks will make their way across the Doncaster area in a bid to help detect lung cancer earlier, as well as identifying other lung conditions.

Working with NHS organisations in Doncaster, Alliance Medical and Ashfield Engage, part of UDG Healthcare Plc, are providing this Lung Health Check service, encouraging around 41,000 people in the town to take up the invitation.

Doncaster is one of 10 areas nationally that has been chosen to implement Lung Health Checks due to the number of people in the area that have ever smoked. The programme will run for 12 months, with a second phase taking place to allow for any further scans and follow up appointments, making a total of three years.

The Lung Health Check programme could help improve lung cancer survival rates across the borough with a recent study showing that checks such as these can potentially pick up changes earlier and reduce lung cancer deaths by around 26% in men and 40% in women.

People who live in Doncaster aged from 55 to less than 75, who smoke or used to smoke and have a Doncaster GP will be offered a free NHS lung health check.

Run by specially-trained nurses, lung health checks are completely free and aim to find out how well your lungs are working. 

Appointments are carried out over the telephone with a specialised nurse, lasting approximately 20-30 minutes. As part of the check, people may be offered a low dose CT scan at one of the mobile units moving around Doncaster. This is to check for early signs of lung cancer as well as other lung diseases.

The Covid-19 secure mobile scanning trucks will move around Doncaster on a three-monthly basis and be parked at designated places in the:

  • South – including towns and villages, such as Rossington and Mexborough from March 2021 to mid-July 2021
  • North – including areas such as Bentley and Carcroft from July 2021 to September 2021
  • East – covering towns and villages, such as Thorne and Hatfield from October 2021 to December 2021
  • Central – including areas such as Intake and Cantley from December 2021 to March 2022.

Dr Jason Page, Clinical Director for the Doncaster Lung Health Check programme said: “I am delighted we are now able to roll-out this fantastic programme for eligible patients in Doncaster. Cancer is a very sensitive and personal issue and we know many people find it a difficult subject to talk about. This new programme is designed to help detect lung cancer earlier as well as other health conditions such as lung problems and high blood pressure.

“If you receive an invite letter in the coming weeks, please don’t ignore it; read the local information booklet and book your telephone appointment.”

Dr Trish Fisher, Clinical Director of the South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Integrated Care System Cancer Alliance and a Consultant Oncologist with a lung cancer practice, said: “Whilst the saying ‘prevention is better than cure’ is true of many cancers including lung cancer, sadly this isn’t always possible. Therefore early detection is essential to give the best outcomes and experiences for those affected – with modern developments in both surgery and radiotherapy many more people can be safely treated and experience fewer side effects from their treatment than they might expect.

“The Lung Health Check programme in Doncaster is something we very much welcome for our region. We will continue to support this important piece of work and as the scheme develops, we will look to roll it out across the region in line with the national direction of travel.”

For more information please visit www.lunghealthchecks.co.uk.

To read Frequently Asked Questions visit Doncaster CCG's Lung Health Check FAQ page.

Image, video and copy courtesy of Doncaster CCG.

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