On February 05, 2026, a local health service in Kingswinford, West Midlands, has been highlighted for national recognition after success in finding lung cancer much earlier in patients. The NHS Lung Cancer Screening Programme uses mobile scanning units in convenient places such as supermarket car parks to make it easier for people to get checked.
The service originally launched in the Morrisons car park in Kingswinford on 14 October 2024 and has since helped find many cancers at earlier, more treatable stages. National NHS data show that more than three‑quarters of lung cancers identified through the screening programme are found at stages 1 or 2, when five‑year survival can be around 90% for stage 1 disease. The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust was the local delivery partner for the Kingswinford launch and has been instrumental in community access to the service.
Local residents aged 55 to 74 who currently smoke or used to smoke are invited for a brief lung health check — often a telephone assessment of about ten minutes — to assess their risk. People judged to be at higher risk are offered a low‑dose CT scan on the mobile unit to check their lungs; the scan appointment typically lasts longer (the scan itself is only a few minutes). Health officials stress these checks are important because lung cancer often has no symptoms in its earliest stages.
National NHS reporting shows that early detection through lung checks has diagnosed thousands of cancers sooner, and that late‑stage diagnosis (stage 4) carries a very poor prognosis (published figures have cited five‑year survival as low as around 4% for the most advanced disease). Because of its results and community focus, the Black Country programme has received national recognition and was shortlisted for national awards in late 2025.
The project is being delivered locally by the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board in partnership with The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust and with support from the West Midlands Cancer Alliance to help ensure equitable access across the area. The programme has moved from an initial pilot into an established local service after demonstrating strong early‑detection impact.
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