A study to find out why some people have not taken part in the NHS Bowel Screening Programme (BUCCS)

Please note this trial is no longer recruiting patients.

This study is interviewing people living in the North East of England who haven’t responded to their invitation to take part in the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme.

Screening means looking for early signs of a particular disease in people who do not have symptoms. If you are in the age range for the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme, you will receive a letter asking if you would like to take part. This comes with a booklet about the programme, and a kit to collect a tiny amount of stool (faeces), which you send back in a hygienic envelope to be tested.

Researchers believe there could be 20,000 fewer deaths from bowel cancer over the next 20 years if just 6 out of every 10 people (60%) took this test. But the number actually taking this test is lower than this. And we know that men, younger people, those from the Indian subcontinent and people living in less wealthy areas are even less likely to take part.

In this study, researchers will talk to people who have chosen not to be screened, to try to understand why this is. The aims of this study are to

Find out why people don’t take part in the bowel cancer screening programme
Look at possible ways of improving numbers of people taking part

The results of the study will help the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme organisers see how best to advertise and encourage people to take part in the future.

Recruitment

Start 01/11/2010

End 31/12/2011

Phase

Other

Who can enter

If you are suitable for this study, you will receive a letter asking if you would like to take part. People asked to take part will

Live in the North East of England
Be between 60 and 75 years of age
Have refused to take part in the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme

You cannot enter if your GP feels you would not be able to take part for any reason, for example, you are not well enough.

Trial design

If you receive a letter asking you to take part in this study, you complete a short form on the letter, saying whether you do or don’t want to take part. You return this to the study team by post in a pre paid envelope. If you don’t want to take part, replying to say no to the study team will still help their research, without you having to have an interview.

If you are actually willing to have bowel screening, you can contact the researcher named on the study letter. The team would also like you to return the form if you can. They will then send you information about who to contact in your area.

If you said in the form that you want to take part in the study, a researcher will contact you within 4 weeks to arrange a convenient time for an interview. The interview will take about an hour and, with your permission, will be audio taped. This helps the researcher to concentrate more on what you are talking about, rather than having to make notes. They will destroy the tapes once they have finished their research, and will not include your name on any research documents.

The interviewer will ask you to talk about

What you think about the bowel screening programme
How you felt about being asked to take part in screening
Why you chose not to take part
How you think the programme information could be improved

They will listen to your views and will not try to change your mind about taking part.

Depending on how many people are interested in this study, the team may not be able to interview everyone who says yes on their form. If they are not able to interview you, they will let you know.