A white man in his late 50s sits in a wheelchair. Words: Get your lung health checked. 55-74? Current or former smoker? It's OK to be afraid but a lung health check is important - even if you don't have symptoms

Smokers and former smokers aged 55-74 years based at a number of doctors’ surgeries in Wigan are being invited for a lung health check at an NHS mobile clinic based behind B&M at Robin Retail Park.

The quick, free checks can help find lung cancer at an early stage – before you might have any symptoms – when it is much more treatable and help save lives.

If successful, the NHS plans to roll out the test to a further one million people across 2024 and 2025.

Most visitors to the lung health checks will get reassurance that everything is OK or be referred to get help to stop smoking.

The checks will soon be available to current or former shisha or cigarette smokers, aged 55-74 based at the following GP practices:

  • Medicentre, Ashton in Makerfield
  • The Grange Practice
  • Kumar Family Practice
  • Bryn Cross Surgery
  • Winstanley Medical Centre
  • Marus Bridge Practice
  • South Wigan Medical Practice

Eligible patients who are invited for a lung health check will firstly talk to specialist nurse where they will answer some health and lifestyle questions which will determine whether they are ‘high’ or ‘low’ risk.

If deemed high risk, they will be offered a low-dose computed tomography (CT) scan of their lungs for further investigation on the same day and be enrolled into the programme.

The mobile clinic will be based at the car park behind B&M at Robin Retail Park, Loire Drive, Wigan, WN5 0UH. If you are travelling by car you should use the car park at the back of the Retail Park. Go straight ahead at the roundabout, do not turn into the Retail Park.

Oliver Butterworth a white man in a checked shirt with dark hair smiles at the cameraOliver Butterworth, Senior Programme Manager at the Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance said: “Our Lung Health Checks help the NHS to spot any lung cancer symptoms earlier, when it is much more treatable.

“If you’re registered with a doctor mentioned on the list from the Wigan area, are a smoker or used to smoke, you’ll be sent an invite through the post or via text message.

“Please do come along for your appointment. You’ll have a chat with a nurse and fill out a questionnaire to look at your risk. About half of the people who visit may also need a low-dose scan which we will also do on the truck.

“It will most likely offer you some reassurance. But it could save your life!”

The Lung Health checks in Wigan are the latest phase of the Greater Manchester Targeted Lung Health Check Programme – a drive to help improve earlier diagnosis of lung cancer and save more lives. The programme is jointly organised by the Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. Lung Health Checks have recently been running in other parts of Wigan, Leigh and Hindley as well as around Greater Manchester. There are plans to expand the programme further in the coming months and years to ensure that all eligible participants are invited.

So far more than 700 patients have been diagnosed with lung cancer as a result of the Lung Health Checks in Greater Manchester, however, almost 80% of these patients were diagnosed at stage 1 or 2 meaning they were more likely to be eligible for curative treatment.

People diagnosed with lung cancer at the earliest stage are nearly 20 times more likely to survive for five years than those whose cancer is caught late.

Patients will be contacted by letter or via text message.

  • For more information on the Targeted Lung Health Check programme please visit mft.nnhs.uk/lunghealthcheck
  • If received your invitation but missed your appointment, call 0161 529 0900 to rebook
  • If you have concerning symptoms you should speak to your GP who will be able to refer you for tests if needed. You can read about symptoms of lung cancer here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/lung-cancer/symptoms/