NHS lung cancer screening trucks coming to Blackpool

NHS England announced the trucks, which operate from supermarket car parks in a drive to save lives by catching the condition early, are being rolled out across the country with the resort being chosen as one of the first destinations.

Blackpool has a higher rate of lung cancer than the national average, due mainly to the prevalence of smoking in the area, and is a contributing factor to life-expectancy being one of the lowest in the entire country for men and women, the NHS said.

The roll-out has the potential to reach around 32,854 people in Blackpool over four years.

Dr Adam Janjua, inset, chair of Fylde Coast cancer steering group, said: “This is a great initiative and I am very happy to see Blackpool being one of the first in the country to reap the benefits of the new scanning trucks.

“Lung cancer is a big problem in the region and we know how vitally important the screening process is to catching the disease early and, ultimately, saving lives.

“We will strive to improve our clinical services in areas like lung cancer and will also continue to inform the public of the dangers of smoking.”