St Mark’s Bowel Cancer Screening Centre marks 20 years with expanded service
The Northwick Park Hospital unit now sends 162,000 home kits a year and offers Lynch Syndrome surveillance
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St Mark’s Bowel Cancer Screening Centre at Northwick Park Hospital has completed two decades of operation. The unit, which serves residents in Harrow, Brent, Hillingdon and parts of Ealing, opened in 2006 and marked its 20th anniversary on 5 August 2026.
When the centre began in 2007, it sent approximately 41,800 home screening kits to people aged 60 to 69. Staff performed about 10 colonoscopies each week. Today the programme sends more than 162,000 kits annually to residents aged 50 to 74 and conducts up to 40 colonoscopies every week.
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Surveillance for inherited risk added in 2023
In 2023 the centre introduced Lynch Syndrome colonoscopy surveillance. This service, part of the National Screening Programme, provides regular monitoring for people with a higher inherited risk of developing bowel cancer. The change followed updated national guidelines issued by NHS England.
Sarah Marshall, Clinical Manager at St Mark’s, has worked at the centre since it opened. She recalled the early days when the team had no dedicated space. "When we first opened, we had little dedicated space or equipment," Marshall said. "I didn’t even have a desk or chair and spent my first few months borrowing office space wherever I could find it."
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Today, we’re proud to have the only purpose-built bowel cancer screening centre in the country.
Sarah Marshall, Clinical Manager, St Mark’s Bowel Cancer Screening Centre
The centre has continued to expand eligibility and improve testing. In 2020 it extended screening to people aged 50 to 59. It also introduced more accurate home testing kits and maintained operations throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
More sensitive tests planned within a year
Within the next 12 months the centre plans to lower the threshold for detecting blood in stool samples. The change aims to identify potential cancers at an earlier stage. NHS England has set the implementation date as part of its national screening improvement programme.
The centre remains the only purpose-built bowel cancer screening facility in the country. It operates under the London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, which covers Northwick Park Hospital.
Questions this report answers
+How many people does St Mark’s Bowel Cancer Screening Centre serve each year?
The centre sends more than 162,000 home screening kits annually to residents aged 50 to 74 in Harrow, Brent, Hillingdon and parts of Ealing. This figure has grown from 41,800 kits in 2007, reflecting expanded eligibility and population coverage.
+What is Lynch Syndrome colonoscopy surveillance?
Lynch Syndrome colonoscopy surveillance is a service introduced at St Mark’s in 2023. It provides regular monitoring for people with a higher inherited risk of bowel cancer, allowing earlier detection and intervention as part of the National Screening Programme.
+When will the new stool test threshold be introduced?
The centre plans to lower the blood-detection threshold in stool tests within the next year. NHS England has set the implementation as part of its national screening improvement programme, aiming to identify potential cancers earlier.
+Who runs St Mark’s Bowel Cancer Screening Centre?
St Mark’s Bowel Cancer Screening Centre operates under the London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust. The trust manages Northwick Park Hospital, where the centre is based and serves Harrow, Brent, Hillingdon and parts of Ealing.
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