London Bowel Cancer Screening Text Reminders and Letters Service
This is a fully funded NHS initiative to improve bowel cancer screening uptake in London through the use of text messaging and GP endorsement.
Currently, patients who have been invited for bowel cancer screening but have not completed a test kit, receive a reminder letter as part of the screening pathway. iPLATO will send a text reminder to participants who have not returned their kit approximately 2-3 weeks after the reminder letter. Messages will sent centrally, therefore consent is required to ensure patients records can be read-coded and to provide the surgery with an audit trail.
Consent is also required to use GP endorsement in the reminder text messages and letters. NHSEI strongly encourages GP-endorsed reminders. Bowel screening participation is around 10% lower in London (55%) than the England average of 65%. GP-endorsed invitation letters were introduced into all London CCGs in June 2016 on the basis of evidence that this low-cost approach leads to an overall increase in screening uptake of around 2% and reduces the social gradient in participation. GP-endorsed SMS reminders are recommended within NHS Screening Programmes.
Please find below a summary of the service with a link to some frequently asked questions. To continue, please click on the 'Register now’ button below.
Why should I get my practice involved?
As healthcare professionals, we join the NHS with a shared goal to advance healthcare as we know it and make positive change happen for others.
By registering your practice you are endorsing this programme, which can help reduce the incidence of bowel cancer, thereby improving the likelihood of successful treatment and survival outcomes.
It's simple and easy to support:
Step 1: Register your practice.
Step 2: Have 5-minute set-up call (if required)
Step 3: We do the rest.