Merseyside

Free Lung Health Checks Available in Kirkby This Week

By

Karen McGinn
3 February 2026, 10:17 am

Residents in Kirkby, Merseyside, have until Friday, 6 February 2026, to visit a mobile lung cancer screening unit at The Elephant in Kirkby town centre for a free check that can detect lung cancer before symptoms appear. The unit is part of the Every Breath Matters community campaign aimed at improving outcomes in Knowsley.

The service is for people aged 55 to 74 who are current or former smokers and who are registered with a local GP practice. Knowsley News notes eligible residents are usually invited by text or letter, but local campaigners have emphasised on-site eligibility checks and will support walk-ins during the unit’s final days. Residents can also book or check their status by calling 0151 254 3032.

Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital is the lead provider and clinical staff are operating the mobile unit, which offers a short low‑dose CT scan to look for early signs of lung cancer. The scan uses a lower dose of radiation than a standard CT and is designed to find cancers at an earlier, more treatable stage.

The deployment forms part of a Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance–coordinated rollout and the local Every Breath Matters campaign (led by One Knowsley in partnership with CMCA and Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital) to reach people who may have missed earlier appointments. Local officials are urging anyone who may be eligible to visit the unit before it leaves on Friday. Early detection substantially improves treatment options; large trials and regional screening programmes have shown screening can reduce lung cancer mortality (for example, the NELSON trial reported a 26% reduction in men and 39–61% in women).

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