Present and former smokers in Rugby can get lung cancer screening in effort to save many livess

Present and former smokers in the borough are invited to attend lung cancer screening checks, whereby cases can be spotted early and many lives saved.

The initiative, run by University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust and InHealth Group, means more than 13,500 past and current smokers aged 55 to 74 in Coventry and Rugby will be invited to a lung health check.

An NHS spokesperson said this will identify an estimated 300 cases of lung cancer earlier than otherwise would have been.

The lung health check takes place in two stages.

The first is a phone assessment and, if the assessment finds the person to be at high risk, they are offered a low dose CT scan of the lungs for further investigation.

The scanner is based in a mobile unit and has been taken to accessible areas in Coventry and Rugby.

It is now at the Hospital of St Cross, Rugby.

An NHS spokesperson said: “Lung cancer can often be caught too late as there are rarely symptoms at the earlier stages.

"The programme is designed to check those most at risk of developing lung cancer in order to spot signs earlier, at the stage when it’s much more treatable and ultimately saving more lives.”

The programme is currently being offered to patients registered at Brownsover Medical Centre, Westside Medical Centre and Whitehall Medical Centre.

It is hoped the programme will be extended to all practices in Coventry and Rugby shortly.

For more information see: www.happyhealthylives.uk/lunghealthcheck