Leeds MP calls for national lung screening programme following visit to lifesaving unit

Leeds East MP Richard Burgon has called for lung screening to be rolled out nationally after visiting a lung health check trial that has saved hundreds of lives in the city.

1) From left: Professor Mat Callister, Consultant in Respiratory Medicine at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Honorary Professor at the University of Leeds, former patient David Sutcliffe, Richard Burgon, MP for Leeds East, Dr Stuart Griffiths, Director of Research at Yorkshire Cancer Research, and Suzanne Rogerson, Lead Nurse - Research and Innovation at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, at the Leeds Lung Health Check unit

Richard was invited to meet the research team delivering the Leeds Lung Health Check, a multimillion-pound clinical trial funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research and delivered in partnership with Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and the University of Leeds.

While being shown around the screening unit, which is currently at The Springs retail and leisure park, Richard also met David Sutcliffe from Colton, who says his life was saved through the programme.

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in Yorkshire. More than 4,000 people are diagnosed with it every year in the region, with those living in deprived communities at most risk.

Because lung cancer doesn’t always cause symptoms, it is frequently diagnosed late when treatment options are more limited and survival rates are lower. Screening helps detect lung cancer before any signs or symptoms develop, when it is usually easier to treat.

Since the Leeds Lung Health Check was launched in November 2018, more than 7,500 people in Leeds have been screened, over 16,000 scans have taken place, 300 lung cancers have been found and 60 other cancers have been identified. The checks take place on a mobile unit that travels to supermarket and shopping centre car parks so it’s easier for people to take part.

David Sutcliffe, 74, was diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer in 2022 after visiting the unit. He had surgery to remove the tumour and needed no further treatment.

David said: “I was healthy and active and had no symptoms at all. I had no idea I had lung cancer until I took part in the Leeds Lung Health Check. Because it had been detected early, we nipped the cancer in the bud, and I was able to have keyhole surgery to remove a very small piece of my lung. I was only in the Bexley Wing for two nights and then I was back home making a swift recovery.

In September 2022, a national lung screening programme was recommended by the UK National Screening Committee. The Leeds Lung Health Check was able to provide the committee with evidence of how screening works in a real-life setting, together with data showing good response rates to invitation. The findings were critical in demonstrating that screening is cost-effective, and therefore represents good value for money.

However, to date there has been no announcement from the government outlining a clear plan and sufficient funding for the delivery of this programme.

Richard, who has written to Health Secretary Steve Barclay in support of the call for funding, added: “Yorkshire Cancer Research is doing an incredible job raising funds for projects like this. But it’s also important that there’s proper investment from the government to help fund research, treatment and screening. I really do hope the government listens and acts upon the screening committee’s recommendation so we can save more lives. It would make a fantastic difference in communities across the country.”

Clinical trial lead Professor Mat Callister, Consultant in Respiratory Medicine at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Honorary Professor at the University of Leeds, said: “It’s fantastic to be able to invite MPs to see projects like the Leeds Lung Health Check happening in their own constituencies, so they can see first-hand the impact this work is having on the people they represent. Our hope is that this will help speed up the announcement of a national lung screening programme.

Dr Stuart Griffiths, Director of Research at Yorkshire Cancer Research, said: “The Leeds Lung Health Check is just one example of how Yorkshire Cancer Research is taking the needs of the people of Yorkshire and funding work that will save lives in the region, while providing critical evidence for national decision making and influencing future global research and policy.”