Free lung scans are underway in Newham

The national NHS Targeted Lung Health Check Programme, which offers life-saving scans to residents aged between 55 and 74 who have ever smoked, has expanded to Newham this week.

Newham is the third borough in north east London where this is being offered to residents, following Barking & Dagenham and Tower Hamlets. Over time, it will be extended to cover all boroughs in north east London.

Progress has been quicker than expected and we have been able to move into Newham earlier than originally planned. We chose Newham as the next borough based on a combination of smoking data, current scanner location and IT integration already being in place.

Meena Pawar, Programme Manager for the Targeted Lung Health Check Programme in north east London, explains “We have so far provided over 7,000 local residents with life-saving scans and we have one of the highest uptake rates in the country. It’s great that so many local people are taking up this free opportunity to take care of their health and to get their lungs checked.

“A scan takes less than a minute and so far feedback has been very positive, with 95% of patients in north east London rating their lung health check experience as either ‘very good’ or ‘good’. We encourage everyone to have a scan when they are invited to.”

What is a lung check?

A Lung Heath Check is offered free to people aged 55-74 who have ever smoked, as part of the national NHS Targeted Lung Health Check Programme. It finds out how well your lungs are working and aims to rule out any serious conditions. Often, early problems with the lungs do not cause any symptoms, so it is important to attend even if you are fit and healthy.

Most of the time nothing is found, but if there are any problems with how your lungs are working, such as cancer, finding out early can make treatment simpler and more successful.

A Lung Health Check also aims to promote healthier lifestyles with advice about stopping smoking.

How do I get a lung check?

Lung checks are by invitation only. Our Targeted Lung Health Check team will send out invites via letter. There are three parts to a lung check:

1. Your telephone appointment: a chat to decide if a lung check is right for you
2. A face-to-face appointment: to talk in more detail about your health and decide if a scan is right for you
3. A quick, low dose CT lung scan: if a scan is right for you, you will have this at the same time and location as your face-to-face appointment

More information

Find out more on our webpage or watch our animated video.