An update on the Be Clear on Cancer programme that promotes early cancer diagnosis, including the launch of the ‘reminder’ campaign on bowel cancer, is published today for the NHS and cancer networks.
Be Clear on Cancer – update on activity recaps on the bowel campaign:
- the bowel campaign will consist of TV, radio, press advertisements and over 100 events across England
- the reminder campaign will run until the end of September and will have a lower weight of TV advertising than the previous national campaign
- the key messages will remain the same – if you have had ‘looser poo’ or ‘blood in poo’ for three weeks or more, your doctor wants to know
- timescales promoted to the public is earlier than the NICE guidelines for urgent GP referrals for suspected bowel cancer, which states six weeks. This is to ensure that people with potentially serious symptoms go and see their GP promptly
- three areas in England will pilot bowel campaign extensions until March 2013. One pilot will use paid for media – the Yorkshire TV region will host this – whilst in the North West and parts of London are piloting a community-based approach.
The letter includes additional results from previous national bowel campaign activity, location of briefing sheets to support the bowel campaign activity and details of regional and local activities which will run from January to March 2013.
