A cartoon image of a white woman in her late 50s with dark hair with some grey strands and the words : "Get you lung health checked. Aged 55 to 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. She is raising her fist to show strength

More people in Bolton will be offered a free Lung Health Check in 2025.

The free Lung Health Checks can help find lung cancer at an early stage when it is much more treatable and help save lives. They are for people who smoke or have smoked cigarettes or shisha and who are aged 55-74 years.

Eligible people will be invited by post or via text message when the lung health checks are in their area.

The checks were offered to eligible people registered with a GP practice in the Farnworth and Kearsley areas of Bolton last year. Now they will become available to eligible people registered with the following groups of GP practices (Primary Care Networks):

HWL Network PCN from January 2025

  • Octagon Medical Centre BL1 1SQ
  • Dr Rizwan And Dr Awan BL1 3RG
  • Burnside Surgery BL1 8TT
  • Halliwell Surgery 2 BL1 3RG
  • Charlotte Street Surgery BL1 8TT
  • Halliwell Surgery 3 BL1 3RG


The mobile clinic will be based at Asda Moss Bank Way. Bolton BL1 8QG

Followed by:

Breightmet and Little Lever PCN:

  • The Dunstan Partnership BL2 6NT
  • Tonge Fold Health Centre BL2 6DY
  • The Alastair Ross Medical Practice BL2 6NT
  • Little Lever Health Centre 1 BL3 1HH
  • Little Lever Health Centre 2 BL3 1HH
  • Spring View Medical Centre BL3 1HQ

Location to be confirmed.

Eligible people (smokers and former cigarette and shisha smokers aged 55 to 74) will receive an invitation in the post.

Dr Tarek Bakht, Clinical Lead for Cancer NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board in Bolton, said: “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 Bolton area, are a smoker or used to smoke either shish or cigarettes, 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 runs from 8am until 8pm Monday to Saturday and if you can’t make your initial appointment slot you can just call the booking line to rearrange.

The checks are being rolled out across Greater Manchester based on where they are needed most in a drive to help improve earlier diagnosis of lung cancer. The checks help save lives. They are due to come to other areas of Bolton in the future. The programme is jointly organised by the Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.

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.

For more information on the Targeted Lung Health Check programme please visit www.mft.nhs.uk/lunghealthcheck

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/