Thousands more people in Northern Ireland will be invited for potentially life-saving bowel cancer screening after Health Minister Robbie Butler announced a major expansion of the regional screening programme.

From 2nd November 2026, the Northern Ireland Bowel Cancer Screening Programme will begin extending invitations to people aged 59, with 58-year-olds joining the programme from April 2027. The phased rollout will continue until everyone aged 50 to 74 is eligible by 2031.

The expansion is designed to detect bowel cancer earlier, improving treatment outcomes and helping to save lives.

Robbie Butler said: "I am delighted to announce this significant expansion of the Northern Ireland Bowel Cancer Screening Programme.

“Extending screening to people aged 50 to 59 will help identify more cancers at an earlier stage, when treatment is most effective.

“This investment will not only improve outcomes for patients but is also expected to deliver annual health service savings of between £1.7 million and £2 million once fully implemented.

“I want to thank Health and Social Care staff and officials across Northern Ireland who have worked tirelessly to put the infrastructure and arrangements in place to make this expansion possible.

“Most importantly, I would strongly encourage everyone who receives a screening kit to take part. Bowel cancer screening saves lives."

Anyone who experiences symptoms should not wait for a screening invitation and should contact their GP. Screening is intended for people without symptoms, and different tests are used to investigate those who have signs of bowel cancer.