The home screening programme for bowel cancer is set to be expanded to those aged 54 and over.

It is hoped the expansion will lead to earlier detection, and therefore more successful treatment and survival.

Those eligible will now automatically receive a home test kit every two years by post.  The faecal immunochemical test (FIT), checks for blood in a small stool sample.

The expansion means that an additional 830,000 people in England will now be eligible for the screening test.

London has the lowest uptake in the country and will be one of the first places to roll out the expansion.

Steve Russell, national director for vaccinations and screening at NHS England, said: “Lives are saved when cancers are caught early and this expansion of our bowel cancer screening programme to those aged 54 will help to spot signs of bowel cancer sooner, and potentially save thousands of lives.

“We are seeing positive uptake of the home testing FIT kits, with over two thirds of those eligible returning their tests, but we want to see even more people taking up the offer.

“I would encourage anyone who is sent a kit to return their tests as quickly as you can – most people won’t have signs of cancer, but if the test does detect anything, we can ensure they are sent on for further tests and treatment. Please look out for your kit in the post and don’t ignore it”.

Lynn Dunne, chief executive of the charity Bowel Research UK, said: “This expansion will undoubtedly save lives, especially now the incidence of the disease is increasing in the under-60s.

“No other cancer is so reliant on early diagnosis to prevent emergency surgery.

“It’s a very simple test, which takes only minutes and can be done in the privacy and comfort of your home”.