SILHILLIANS climbed onboard a special bus to get a free health check and find out more about the importance of cancer screening.
Cancer specialists and other health and care professionals were on hand in Mell Square as part of the third leg of a bus tour, bringing accessible health services and information into neighbourhoods across Birmingham and Solihull.
NHS staff and partners across health and social care were on board the big red bus to talk about the importance of cancer screening, how to check for different cancers, and hand out information on routine health checks and living the healthiest possible life.
Teams on the bus also helped attendees with signposting to other wellbeing services, such as gambling, drugs and alcohol support and smoking cessation.
NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB) say since its launch in September 2024, 850 health checks have been carried out on the bus and 1,300 health information bags have been given out to members of the public.
The initiative is led by NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB and delivered in collaboration with health and care partners including Macmillan Cancer Support, the West Midlands Cancer Alliance, University Hospitals Birmingham and the Help in Brum project.
Dr Clara Day, chief medical officer for NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB, said: “Increasing uptake of screening for cancer is one of our biggest priorities. Cancer touches everyone’s lives, but in Birmingham and Solihull we lag behind other parts of the country in people taking up screening.
“The cancer bus tour offers an opportunity for our patients, citizens and communities to speak to professionals they may only otherwise see in a clinical setting. This means that important conversations about cancer, screening and healthy lifestyles can be had in less formal or intensive environments, in areas familiar to the public and without the anxiety that might come with attending a GP practice or a hospital.”
Harvir Singh, senior programme manager for Early Cancer Diagnosis at the West Midlands Cancer Alliance (WMCA), said: “The bus tour will be able to provide visitors with education and awareness around the signs and symptoms of cancer and encourage them to attend screening appointments, whilst also giving them an opportunity to receive health checks and advice on healthy lifestyles.
“We also hope to uncover some gather further insight and understanding of some of into the barriers and challenges that exist in our communities when it comes to seeking help with potential cancer symptoms or attending screening appointments, this is crucial in helping shape our cancer programme going forward.
“The bus tour is a project that aligns with the WMCA’s commitments around reducing cancer inequalities and supporting earlier diagnosis of cancer to ensure the best outcomes for our patients.”
The tour is part of a West Midlands wide trip which will see the bus attend locations in other areas too, including Coventry and Warwickshire, Staffordshire, the Black Country and Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.
The bus will be outside Asda in Chelmsley Wood for the fourth tour on September 9 from 9.30am to 3.30pm.
For more and to find the full list of dates and locations in June and September are available on the ICB website.
