Residents in Birmingham and Solihull are being urged to climb 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 are ready and set to go for the third leg of the bus’s tour, bringing accessible health services and information into neighbourhoods across Birmingham and Solihull.
NHS staff and partners across health and social care will hop on board the big red bus from Friday 20 June at its first stop at the Tesco Superstore in Hodge Hill, before heading out every day up to Wednesday 25 June to different neighbourhoods.
Citizens are encouraged to climb on at their nearest stop to talk to professionals about the importance of cancer screening, learn how to check themselves for different cancers, receive routine health checks and find support to help them live the healthiest possible life.
Teams on the bus will also be able to help attendees with signposting to other wellbeing services, such as gambling, drugs and alcohol support and smoking cessation.
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 bus will stop at new locations, with staff carrying out additional checks and advice for conditions such as diabetes, as well as access to Birmingham City Council’s Help in Brum team, who provide cost of living support to citizens.
The initiative is led by NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (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.”
Jo Tolley, Head of Cancer and Diagnostics Delivery and Improvement at NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB said: “This round of the bus tour is bigger and better than ever, with the services on board determined by local needs. Stops are in locations where we know uptake of screening appointments is lower and we have additional services on offer in locations where communities might be more at risk of a certain cancer or other issue.
“With the support of our partners and passengers on the bus we will be able to speak about other long-term health conditions such as diabetes, or other relevant challenges like the ongoing cost of living crisis, gambling, drugs and alcohol addiction and find support to quit smoking.”
Harvir Singh, Senior Programme Manager for Early Cancer Diagnosis at the West Midlands Cancer Alliance (WMCA), said: “The West Midlands Cancer Alliance are delighted to be once again supporting the Cancer Bus Tour initiative after the success of the first tour last year, we view this project as an innovative and interactive way of engaging the people of Birmingham and Solihull in their local communities on the subject of cancer.
“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.
Anyone interested in attending the bus can simply hop on at any of its stops. The full list of dates and locations in June and September are available on the ICB website.