NHS sends urgent message to anybody who has ever smoked

The NHS has issued an urgent message to anybody who smokes, or ever has smoked in the UK. The NHS says it's vital that people listen to its message, because it could save lives.

Mobile trucks are being sent out to perform potentially life-saving lung checks. Hundreds of people have already been diagnosed with lung cancer thanks to the trucks.

The NHS said teams have diagnosed 600 people with the disease in travelling trucks, which visit convenient community sites across the UK like supermarkets and sports centres, aiming to make it easier for people to access check-ups. It comes as new figures show only just over a third (35%) of patients go to their lung health check when invited by the NHS.

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The NHS said those most at risk of lung cancer, like former or current smokers, are invited for a "Lung MOT" in the mobile trucks. Those who are highest at risk will also be given an on-the-spot chest scan. The trucks are especially travelling to areas of the country with some of the highest death rates from lung cancer.

The teams have also identified thousands of people with other undiagnosed conditions including respiratory and cardiovascular disease, enabling them to access the treatment they need earlier. The community initiative, which is part of the NHS Targeted Lung Health Check Programme, has seen more than three quarters (77%) of cancers caught at either stage one or two, giving patients a much better chance of beating the illness.

This compares to less than a third of cancers caught at either stage one or two in 2018. The health service said so far, 23 existing truck sites have issued up to 25,000 invitations every month.