00:00Access to a simple screening kit can make the difference between early treatment and a crisis admission.
00:07In Walsall, hospital consultants say too many bowel cancer patients still arrive through emergency routes,
00:14when the disease may already be harder to treat successfully.
00:18A community awareness session in Willow Hall is trying to change that.
00:22The monthly event at the Hive Community Hub brings together former patients, advocates and Walsall Manor Hospitals
00:29chorelectal team to explain symptoms, screening and how to seek help early in Walsall.
00:35Former counsellor Ian Shires helped organise the sessions after surviving bowel cancer himself.
00:41He says missed tests can have serious consequences, but treatment has improved
00:46and people should not assume a diagnosis means there is no hope if cancer is found early.
00:52Consultant Surgeon Mohamed Tayeb says emergency presentations have reduced
00:57and outcomes at Walsall Manor have improved, but he says fewer than half of eligible people
01:03are taking up bowel cancer screening, which the hospital team sees as a major ongoing local concern.
01:11Doctors say bowel cancer may not always cause clear symptoms, but unexplained weight loss,
01:17changes in bowel habits, bleeding from the bottom, bloating or stomach pain should be checked.
01:23Their message is to complete screening kits and contact GPs promptly for advice.
