"Are you a Halton or St Helens breast, bowel or lung cancer survivor?"

NHS Halton and St Helens is preparing to launch a major push in its award winning ‘Get checked’ early detection of cancer programme in January 2011. We are on the look out for local people who would like to share their unique story of surviving either breast, bowel or lung cancer with the hope it well help others to understand the crucial message that early detection saves lives.

Over the last three years the Health Improvement Team (a joint partnership between NHS Halton and St Helens and St Helens Council) has run the ‘Get checked’ programme with great success. The campaign has seen increases in patient referrals with suspicious symptoms rise by up to 82% locally.

In order to continue the on-going achievements and results ‘Get checked’ is having, it is important to evolve the way the current campaign hits the lives of the people living in Halton and St Helens.

Anna Nygaard is Head of Health Improvement and Marketing. She said:

“Sadly many lives are still lost each year due to people going to see their GP when the cancer is in its later stage and treatment is more difficult.

“Our ’Get checked’ message is simple; early detection of cancer saves lives.

“To help us take our campaign to the next level, we believe local breast, bowel and lung cancer survivors, who are willing to share their own personal experience with local people, will be the springboard for others to seek early medical help.”

If cancer is presented to a doctor during its early stage, treatments are simpler and more effective. ‘Get checked’ encourages local people to know what the signs and symptoms of breast, bowel and lung cancer are, and to ‘get checked’ by a GP if they have them.

Understanding and hearing local stories from breast, bowel and lung cancer survivors will further help not only the ‘Get checked’ programme, but could also prove to be a crucial part in getting other local people to understand cancer first hand from an actual cancer survivor.

Anyone living in Halton/St Helens wishing to share their experience of surviving breast, bowel or lung cancer please contact either Kerry Grimes or Mike Baker of the Health Improvement Team on 0300 300 0103* or email health.improvement@nhs.net.

Participants willing to share their personal story will be able to decide how their story or message will be used locally. This could range from using their story anonymously to being part of the main campaign rolled out locally in January 2011 – and the team will be sensitive to the person’s wishes at all times.

These local cancer survival stories could help to save someone’s life by triggering them to seek medical help if they are showing any of the key breast, bowel and lung cancer symptoms.

www.healthimprovementteam.co.uk

(*calls cost the same as calling a landline, even from a mobile)