Residents across Birmingham and Solihull are being encouraged to hop on board a special red bus offering free health checks and cancer awareness information and lifestyle support.
Between Monday 8 September and Saturday 13 September, NHS staff and partners will take to the road, starting off at Birmingham Hippodrome before heading out every day to different neighbourhoods including Chelmsley Wood, Erdington and Northfield. The tour aims to bring health services closer to local communities, particularly in areas where uptake of cancer screening is lower.
On board, visitors will be able to talk to cancer specialists and other health and care professionals about the importance of cancer screening, learn how to check themselves for different cancers, receive routine health and heart checks and find support to help them live the healthiest possible life.
There will also be opportunities to speak to dedicated gambling, drugs and alcohol support services, and get advice to help quit smoking.
The bus initiative first launched in September 2024, when it was visited by Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting. It also toured Birmingham and Solihull in April and June this year. In that time, staff on the bus have provided 850 residents with health checks and handed out 1,300 health information bags.
The initiative is led by NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB) in collaboration with 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. The bus tour allows us to meet people where they are, in familiar and local community settings, and have important conversations about cancer screening and healthier lifestyles without the need for a hospital or GP visit.”
Jo Tolley, Head of Cancer and Diagnostics Delivery and Improvement at NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB said: “The fourth leg of the bus tour is bigger than ever, with new stops carefully chosen where we know uptake of cancer screening appointments is lower. By tailoring the services to different communities, we also have the opportunity to talk about wider health issues such as smoking, drug and alcohol addiction and diabetes.”
Harvir Singh, Senior Programme Manager for Early Cancer Diagnosis at the West Midlands Cancer Alliance (WMCA), said: “We are delighted to continue supporting the cancer bus tour initiative after an incredibly successful year so far. The tour is an innovative way of engaging people in their local communities, raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer and encouraging screening uptake. It is also an opportunity to hear directly from local citizens the barriers they face when seeking help or attending screening appointments that can help us shape cancer services for the future.”
Anyone interested in attending the bus can simply hop on at any of its stops. The full list of dates and locations is available on the Birmingham and Solihull ICB website.