NORTHERN Ireland's most senior doctor has moved to reassure patients that a pioneering new bowel cancer screening test will be introduced - but not until it is sanctioned by a health minister.
Dr Michael McBride, chief medical officer (CMO) was responding to concerns raised by a charity earlier this week over the stalled roll-out of a highly effective testing kit due to the collapse of Stormont power-sharing.
The medic also insisted the north's current testing programme for those between the ages of 60 and 74 was 'high quality' and 'well organised'.
Bowel cancer is second only to lung cancer as one of the biggest killers in Northern Ireland with around 410 deaths each year.
The charity Bowel Cancer UK warned the north would be lagging behind in the delivery of the new 'Faecal Immunochemical Test' (FIT), which works by detecting and measuring tiny amounts of blood in the stool.
Only one sample is required compared to the current three and a pilot discovered it picked up twice as many cancers.
The test will be rolled out in Scotland later this year while it be delivered in England mid-2018 followed by Wales in 2018/19.
Dr McBride told the Irish News the north had a similar timescale to Wales but added it will be "subject to ministerial agreement and the necessary resources being identified".
He said that the 'timing' had "no implications" for suspected cancer cases as the purpose of screening programmes is to pick up abnormalities in people with no symptoms.
"While most people invited complete the test, around four out of every 10 do not. As regular bowel cancer screening has been shown to reduce the risk of dying...I would encourage everyone to take the test when invited."
