Bowel cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in the UK.

Anyone who has symptoms should contact their GP immediately.

These symptoms include change of bowel habit, weight loss, blood in stools, tiredness and anaemia.

In 2006, the Department of Health began a three-year roll out programme of bowel screening centres.

A NEW cancer screeningservice is being launched for local patients.

Residents of Calderdale and Huddersfield will have access to a local bowel screening centre if they need it after a successful bid to host the centre by the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust.

People aged 60 to 69 who need follow-up tests as part of a national screening campaign will be able to access the service in Halifax instead of travelling further afield.

The trust joined forces with The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust to submit an application to the National Bowel Screening Office.

The proposal was developed with primary care trust partners and has been fully supported by the NHS Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority and the Yorkshire Cancer Network.

The screening programme for Calderdale and Huddersfield residents will begin in spring this year. People aged 60 to 69 will receive an information letter and a leaflet about the national screening programme.

This will be followed by a testing kit and instructions.

Consultant Ashwin Verma said: “Approval for the screening centre is great news for our residents.

“Not only will it mean that people who need follow up tests don’t have to travel too far, it will also lead to improvements and investments in the service.

“The idea of the screening programme is to try to detect bowel cancer at an early stage in people who have no symptoms. If bowel cancer is picked up early there is a great chance of success in treating it.”

People can carry out the test in the privacy of their own homes and return the stool sample in a hygienically sealed prepaid envelope to a laboratory. The lab results will usually come back in about two weeks.

A normal result means no further tests are needed and the person will be invited to take part in screening again in two years

An unclear result means that the person will be asked to take the test up to two more times