OVER a thousand people in the South East of England have had lung cancer caught early thanks to NHS scanning trucks based in supermarket car parks and other community locations.
New NHS data shows that 1,385 lung cancers have been detected in the region through the programme since it began.
This includes 160 lung cancers detected in Thames Valley.
Local health teams carry out lung health checks and scans for current and former smokers aged 55 to 74 with mobile scanning trucks part of the NHS Lung Cancer Screening Programme, initially launched in 2019 in areas with the highest rates of the disease, and which has now reached around half of England’s most at-risk population. Further sites launched in 2022, 2024 and 2025.
One person who benefitted from an earlier diagnosis is Crawley resident and former smoker Ginnie Walker, who was successfully treated in March 2024.
“The team at the lung health check in the supermarket car park were lovely and non-judgmental about the fact I was a smoker. And it was all done so quickly,” she said.
“I would say to any smoker, if you receive an invite for a lung health check, please just go for the scan.
“They won’t judge you–go for your loved ones.”
For 71-year-old Ian Needham from Brighton, the programme offered a second chance at life. After giving up smoking more than two decades ago, Ian attended a lung health check just to be sure.
A CT scan revealed a suspicious nodule that turned out to be cancerous, but crucially, it was caught early.
Ian underwent surgery to remove part of his lung and is now back to cycling, spending time with family and planning for the future.
“The idea of cancer felt final,” he said.
“But with this surgery, I had a way forward. If I hadn’t gone, I might not have known for years, and by then it could have been too late.”
Under the National Cancer Plan, the Government has set an ambition for 75% of people diagnosed with cancer to survive for five years or more by 2035. Expanding lung cancer screening across England is key to achieving this.
Dr Daghni Rajasingam, Deputy Medical Director for NHS England South East, said: “Lung cancer checks save lives, so it’s fantastic that the NHS has now diagnosed over 10,000 people in England through this programme, including more than 1,000 in the South East.
“By bringing scanners into communities – including in locations such as supermarket car parks – we are making it easier for people to come forward and get checked.”
Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in England, and around 26,000 people die from the disease each year. Around seven in ten cases are caused by smoking, while other causes include passive smoking and exposure to certain gases and chemicals.
Lung health checks assess a person’s risk using factors such as age, smoking history and medical background. Those identified as higher risk are offered a low-dose CT scan. It does not usually cause noticeable symptoms in its early stages, which is why screening is so important.
Symptoms can include a persistent cough lasting more than three weeks, coughing up blood, chest pain, breathlessness, and unexplained weight loss or fatigue.
The NHS is urging everyone who receives an invitation for a lung health check to attend – even if they feel well.
