More than 800,000 more people in England are to be invited to do at-home checks for bowel cancer, NHS officials have said.

NHS England said that adults over the age of 54 are to be sent at-home screening kits as part of a phased expansion of the project.

It is hoped that expanding the screening to include more adults will help improve detection of bowel cancer when it is at an earlier stage and officials hope the move could save thousands of lives.

An additional 830,000 people will be sent the Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT).

The FIT test is conducted at home, where people put a small faecal sample in a tube and send it in the post to a laboratory where it is tested for microscopic amounts of blood.

Results are sent back to participants, along with information about further tests, if needed.

Around two out of 100 people who use the kit will need further testing.

Lives are saved when cancers are caught early and this expansion of our bowel cancer screening programme to those aged 54 will help to spot signs of bowel cancer sooner, and potentially save thousands of lives

In England, the screening service was previously only offered to people aged 60-74. But in 2021, the NHS in England gradually began to increase the number of adults eligible for screening to include those aged 50-59.

People aged 75 and over can request a kit by phoning the NHS bowel cancer screening helpline on 0800 707 60 60.

The latest announcement comes as part of the phased rollout of the project.

Steve Russell, national director for vaccinations and screening at NHS England, said: “Lives are saved when cancers are caught early and this expansion of our bowel cancer screening programme to those aged 54 will help to spot signs of bowel cancer sooner, and potentially save thousands of lives.

“We are seeing positive uptake of the home testing FIT kits, with over two thirds of those eligible returning their tests, but we want to see even more people taking up the offer.

“I would encourage anyone who is sent a kit to return their tests as quickly as you can – most people won’t have signs of cancer, but if the test does detect anything, we can ensure they are sent on for further tests and treatment. Please look out for your kit in the post and don’t ignore it.”

Lynn Dunne, chief executive of the charity Bowel Research UK, said: “This expansion will undoubtedly save lives, especially now the incidence of the disease is increasing in the under-60s.

“No other cancer is so reliant on early diagnosis to prevent emergency surgery.

“It’s a very simple test, which takes only minutes and can be done in the privacy and comfort of your home.”

Dr Lisa Wilde, from Bowel Cancer UK, said: “This is fantastic news and a massive step towards screening from 50 in England.

“Screening is one of the best ways to detect bowel cancer early and can often find it before symptoms develop.

“It could save your life and we would encourage everyone to complete the test when they receive it.”