More people in Oldham will be offered a Lung Health Check in 2025

More Oldhamers 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.

The checks are already available for some people in Oldham who were sent invitations last summer and autumn.

Now the checks are expanding to cover the remaining eligible patients registered at all GP surgeries in Oldham.

By March all eligible people - smokers and former smokers aged 55 to 74 who are registered with a GP in the Oldham area - will have been invited for a Lung Health Check.

The Lung Health Checks will now be available to eligible people who are registered at the following groups of GP practices (also known as Primary Care Networks (PCNs):

Milltown PCN:

·       Chadderton Medical Practice OL9 0LH

·       Woodlands Medical Practice  OL9 0LH

·       Ch Medical Practice    OL9 8NH

·       Md Family Practice     OL9 7AY

·       Littletown Family Med Pract   OL8 4LR

·       Werneth Medical Practice      OL9 7AY

·       Kapur Family Care      OL9 7AY

(The mobile clinic will be based at Tesco, Featherstall Road North, Oldham OL9 6BW.)

Oldham North PCN:

·       The Royton & Crompton Family Practice       OL2 6QW

·       Oak Gables Medical Practice OL2 8ST

·       Royton Medical Centre           OL2 5QL

·       Village Medical Practice         OL2 8ST

(The mobile clinic will be based at Asda in Shaw.)

Oldham East PCN:

·       Leesbrook Surgery     OL4 3DG

·       Saddleworth Medical Practice            OL3 6AH

·       Springfield House       OL4 2RJ

·       Lees Medical Practice OL4 3BP

·       Moorside Medical Practice     OL1 4JU

·       Pennine Medical Centre         OL5 9AJ

(The location of the mobile clinic will be announced nearer the time).

Eligible people will receive an invitation in the post.

Dr Brian Lewis, a GP and Clinical Director for Oldham Central Primary Care Network, 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 Oldham 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 are also being rolled out across Greater Manchester in a drive to help improve earlier diagnosis of lung cancer and save more lives.

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.

The checks were rolled out to eligible people based at GP practices in the Oldham Central Primary Care Network in July 2024.

This included: St Mary's Medical Centre; The Chowdhury Practice; Oldham Family Practice; Hopwood House Medical Practice; Alexandra Group Med Practice; Greenbank Medical Practice; Jalal Practice; Perkins Practice; Glodwick Medical Practice; John Street Medical Practice and Lindley House Health Centre.

The checks have also already been offered to eligible people based at GP practices in the Oldham South Primary Care Network which included: Oldham Medical Services; Quayside Medical Practice; Medlock Medical Practice; Hill Top Surgery and Hollinwood Medical Practice.

People who were invited previously who didn't attend the first time can always rebook by their appointment by calling 0161 291 0900.

Newly eligible patients will be invited by the programme team at a later date.

For more information on the Targeted Lung Health Check programme, please visit: www.mft.nnhs.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

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