(2) how many patients screened were found to have polyps in each month since the start of the NHS bowel cancer screening programme, broken down by (a) screening centre and (b) sex;
(3) how many patients screened were referred for a colonoscopy as a result of a positive faecal occult blood test in each month since the start of the NHS bowel cancer screening programme, broken down by (a) screening centre and (b) sex.
As at 25 May 2008, 749,710 men and women had completed a bowel screening testing kit as part of the programme. Information on the number of colonoscopies and other tests performed, number of polyps removed and number of bowel cancers diagnosed in each month since the start of the NHS Bowel Screening Programme broken down by screening centre has been placed in the Library. It is not currently possible to break this information down by gender.