Across Humber and North Yorkshire, the Lung Cancer Screening programme is making a measurable difference in detecting lung conditions early—often before symptoms appear—and offering vital support to people who smoke.
Who It’s For?
The programme is open to individuals:
- Aged 55 to 74
- Registered with a GP in a participating area (e.g. Hull, North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire)
- With a history of smoking, even if they’ve since quit
Eligible people are invited to a free telephone assessment with a specially trained nurse. If needed, they may be referred for a low-dose CT scan to help spot early signs of lung cancer or other issues.
Support to Stop Smoking—Right at the Check
As part of the check, people who smoke are offered on-the-spot support to quit, including:
- Personalised behaviour change guidance
- Help setting SMART goals
- Access to free local NHS Stop Smoking Services
- Ongoing follow-up to keep people on track
This offer is available at the time of screening in areas like North East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire, where the service is embedded within the Lung Health Check appointment.
Success in Numbers
The programme’s impact is clear. In North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire:
- An average of 14 people each month successfully quit smoking for 4 weeks
- 79% of those go on to hit the 12-week quit milestone
- The cost per 4-week quit is around £700, demonstrating real value for money
- The initiative is expected to help over 360 people quit smoking by mid-2025
- 37% of all people seen were from the most deprived areas in North and North East Lincolnshire.
Between 2023 and 2025, the service has:
- Delivered 1,332 tobacco dependency treatments as part of the Lung Cancer Screening
- Supported over 750 people to set SMART goals and make a change
- Helped over 300 people stay smoke-free for at least 12 weeks
Real Stories, Real Impact
Patients say the Lung Cancer Screening helped detect lung cancer and other serious conditions early—often when they felt completely fine. That early detection can mean more treatment options and better outcomes.
As patient Gary put it: “I started smoking at 12, and it just carried on. When I was invited for the Lung Cancer Screening, in the letter they offered smoking cessation support and I thought yeah, I’d be up for that.
“You realise that you’ve been getting away with smoking, but I knew that I had to be sensible as I can’t keep getting away with it forever!
“I didn’t think I was strong enough to stop on my own and stay stopped, that’s why I decided to give the cessation programme a go.
“I’d recommend a cessation programme, as the positivity and encouragement and empathy was brilliant. It made such a difference to talk to the staff who had themselves previously been smokers – you knew they got it. You’re not being told, you’re being helped”