Lung Health Checks Explained

Targeted lung health checks are a simple check up to see how well your lungs are working. They are currently available in selected areas of England for people aged 55-74 years old who have ever smoked and registered with a participating GP practice in the area.

There are often no signs or symptoms of lung cancer at an early stage. Targeted lung health checks help us get ahead of lung cancer, finding lung cancer at its earliest stage when it is easier to treat with curative intent, often before you have any symptoms.

We like to think of these health checks as an MOT for your lungs. We get our cars checked every year to make sure everything is ok. Our lungs work hard every minute of our lives so it makes sense to do the same for ourselves. Most people who attend an appointment feel very reassured.

Where are the lung health checks?

Lung Health Checks are currently available in some parts of England. These checks are gradually being rolled out across the country. We are also continuing to campaign for a national lung cancer screening programme.

If you’re eligible, you’ll get a letter or phone call from your GP or a local NHS service inviting you to an appointment.

• You are aged between 55 and 74
• You are a current or former smoker (and this is recorded on your medical history)
• You are registered with a GP surgery
• You live in an area where there is a lung health check.

Check if there is a lung health check in your area

At present there is a pilot lung health check in Wales covering certain areas of the Rhondda. 

In Scotland a clinical trial called LungScot is being expanded from NHS Lothian across central Scotland.

There is no rollout at present in Northern Ireland. We are currently campaigning for the rollout of targeted national screening across the UK in line with evidence. If you are worried about lung cancer or want to find out about programmes in your local area you can either talk to your primary care team or call our Ask the Nurse service on 0800 358 7200 or email lungcancerhelp@roycastle.org

Your lung health check appointment

If you are eligible for a lung health check, you will receive a letter from either your GP or the NHS inviting you for an appointment.

The programmes are gradually inviting eligible patients for a lung check – either region by region, or by age – so if you are eligible and haven’t received an invitation, don’t worry. It may just be that your local lung health check hasn’t reached your area or age bracket yet. You can contact your GP practice for further clarification.

In some locations, an appointment is automatically made for you while in others you will need to call and book the appointment yourself.

You should attend a lung health check even if you feel well, have no respiratory symptoms or have not smoked for many years.

What happens at the lung health check appointment?

You will have an appointment with a lung health check nurse in person, by phone or online. They will ask you some questions including information about:

• Your general health
• Your breathing
• Your overall lung health
• Your smoking history, and
• Any potential symptoms you may be experiencing.

The appointment will take between 30 and 45 minutes.

During the appointment, you will get the chance to ask any questions and discuss ways you can improve your overall lung health. If you are still smoking and would like some advice about quitting, the nurse can help with that too.

What happens after the lung health check appointment?

After you have had your appointment with the lung health check nurse, one of the following things will happen:

• You require no further appointments or follow ups. This is because the health check suggests you are not at higher risk of developing lung cancer
• You are referred to your GP. If the lung health check detects any problems with your lung health or your breathing, you may be referred back t your GP for a follow up appointment.
• You are offered a low CT scan of your lungs. This allows doctors to get a detailed picture of your lungs to check everything is ok. It is very common to be invited for a CT scan through these programmes and is no cause for concern. One of the main aims of lung health checks is to diagnose lung cancer at the earliest opportunity, before any symptoms have occurred, so they are ultra cautious. A large proportion of those who attend a lung health check will be invited for a CT scan. The majority of those who have a scan will not have lung cancer.

If you are invited for a scan, it is done in either a mobile scanning unit in your local community, or a local hospital. The CT scan itself only takes a few minutes and does not hurt.

What is a CT scan?

A CT scan is a type of x-ray, but it involves more radiation than a standard chest x-ray and shows more detailed pictures. It is used to check for any signs of lung cancer and lung disease.

It is a quick and painless procedure. There is no need to prepare in any way such as fast or have any injection. You don’t have to have the scan if you don’t want to. However, if you do have lung cancer, the earlier it is caught the better. If it’s caught early, it can be cured.

You will receive a letter with your results within four weeks of the CT scan. This will tell you what happens next. If the scan shows anything concerning, you may be referred for further lung scans or treatment.

The benefits of lung health checks

The majority people who have a lung health check will not have lung cancer. For those who do have, lung health checks can help speed up diagnosis and increase your treatment options, including curative-intent treatment. Currently 76% of people who have been diagnosed with lung cancer through the lung health check programme have been caught at stages 1 and 2.

Frequently Asked Questions