Welcome to our latest news update. To keep up to date with our news, including upcoming events and job opportunities, read our news reports, and follow us on X @NSShse, LinkedIn, and on Bluesky @nsshse.
BowelScreen now available to people aged 58, with 60,000 more people eligible for screening
We have started to invite people aged 58 for bowel screening. The eligible age range for BowelScreen is now 58 to 70, and eventually we will offer screening to people aged 55 to 74. This change means around 60,000 more people will be invited to do the home test over the next two years.
We have also made it easier for people to take part in screening. Our register now allows people to request their home test kit online 24/7, in addition to being able to do this by phone or email. People can also use the register to:
- check they are registered
- check when their next test is due
- update their contact details.
Find the register at hse.ie/bowelscreen.
Learning from our screening participants
On World Sight Day, 9 October, we launched a Patient Reported Experience Measures (PREMs) survey to hear from people who have taken part in Diabetic RetinaScreen (DRS). The digital survey captures real-time feedback from screening participants and helps us to learn about our participants’ experiences, and identify potential areas for improvement.
We send a text message to screening participants after their appointments inviting them to take part in the survey and share their experiences.
DRS is our third screening programme to implement the digital survey, following its introduction for BowelScreen in 2022 and BreastCheck in 2023.
In October, we published our BreastCheck PREMs survey report for 2024. Over 11,000 women took part in the survey, and 94.7% rated their screening experience as good or very good.
A net promoter score is a simple way to measure how likely people are to recommend a service to others. BreastCheck achieved a score of 84, which is considered exceptional.
Most survey participants (97%) found our results letter was easy to understand. Most (88.3%) survey participants agreed that they were treated with respect and dignity during their mammogram. 73% said they felt mild to no discomfort during the mammogram.
New research with IARC uses chatbot to support decisions about cervical screening
Behavioural Insights & Change Specialist with the National Screening Service, Dr Alice Le Bonniec, is lead author of a new report on a chatbot-based cervical screening decision aid.
The chatbot was designed to support women in France to make decisions about taking part in cervical screening, including HPV self-sampling. It is a user-friendly tool that women can use to ask questions about screening, in their own language and at their own pace.
The project was led by Dr Farida Selmouni in the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Dr Le Bonniec worked with the team to develop the chatbot called ‘AppDate-You’, using a user-centred design approach.
The research team is planning a larger study to see whether using this chatbot actually increases screening participation. If successful, chatbots like this could become a model for how digital tools help support decision-making and access to healthcare.
More news in brief
Here is some more news we reported recently:
- New European research helps us understand which measures matter most in breast cancer screening programmes for saving lives
- Get the right care if you have symptoms that might be caused by cervical cancer
- More voices, greater impact: How we grew our Patient and Public Partnership
- Shouting from the rooftops: how a powerful patient story about bowel screening inspired others to take action