Over 967,000 people in the North West eligible for life saving lung cancer checks

MORE than 967,000 people across the North West will now be eligible for life saving lung cancer screening following the expansion of a key health check programme.

As part of the of the forthcoming National Cancer Plan, the Government will scale the Lung Cancer Screening initiative into a full national screening programme by 2030, marking a major milestone in the drive to improve early diagnosis and save more lives.

The existing lung cancer screening programme has already shown remarkable impact. More than 1.5 million people have attended a lung health check risk assessment nationally, leading to over 9,000 lung cancer diagnoses.

In the North West, the Cancer Alliance‑led programme is enabling earlier detection by offering specialist lung checks to those most at risk. To date, 590,000 people across the North West have been invited for a lung health check since 2019, with over 317,000 checks completed across the Region.

Stephen Kinnock MP, Minister of State for Care:- "Lung cancer is 1 of the biggest killers in our country, hitting hardest in our poorest communities, and for too long too many people have been diagnosed too late. By expanding lung cancer screening, we are catching the disease earlier, when patients have a better chance of effective treatment and survival. This is the National Cancer Plan in action, harnessing game changing technology alongside expert human care and ensuring people across the North West and beyond benefit from life saving innovation, no matter where they live."

A core ambition of the National Cancer Plan is to accelerate earlier diagnosis, building on NHS initiatives and new technologies so that more cancers are detected at the earliest possible stages, when effective treatment is most achievable.

Between now and 2035, more than 6 million people are expected to be invited for screening under the national Lung Cancer Screening programme. People aged:- 55 to 74 who are current or former smokers will be eligible for a lung health check risk assessment, with those at higher risk going on to receive a low dose CT scan.

This national expansion is projected to diagnose up to 50,000 lung cancers by 2035, including:- at least 23,000 at an early stage. Earlier detection means simpler, more effective treatment and significantly better survival outcomes.

The rollout represents a major breakthrough in tackling 1 of the UK's deadliest cancers. By driving earlier diagnosis, improving survival and reducing health inequalities, the expanded programme will help save thousands more lives in the years ahead.

For more information about Lung Cancer visit:- NHS.UK.

North West receives record funding increase to boost Neighbourhood Policing

THE North West will see a significant boost to the number of Neighbourhood Police Officers on its streets, as the Government is set to invest a record:- �18.4 billion to cut crime and catch criminals.

Each Police Force across the country is set to receive a real terms increase in funding next year, including:-

Up to:- �296.5 million for Cheshire Constabulary, a cash increase of:- 4.8%.
Up to:- �164.6 million for Cumbria Constabulary, a cash increase of:- 4.2%.
Up to:- �905.6 million for Greater Manchester Police, a cash increase of:- 3.9%.
Up to:- �435.7 million for Lancashire Constabulary, a cash increase of:- 4.4%.
Up to:- �504.6 million for Merseyside Police, a cash increase of:- 4.5%.

Local Forces across England and Wales will receive up to:- �18.4 billion, an increase of:- �796 million compared to that of 2025, and a 2.3% real terms increase.

This includes an additional:- �50 million to help deliver the Government's Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, which will put an additional 13,000 neighbourhood Policing personnel into roles by the end of this parliament.

In April last year, the Government pledged to put 3,000 Officers into neighbourhood roles within 12 months to drive down crime and anti social behaviour that is blighting Town Centres and residential areas. Almost 2,400 additional neighbourhood Officers have been put into post in the 6 months up to the end of September 2025, a 14% increase since the end of March 2025.

From April, the Government is scrapping the outdated Officer Maintenance Grant and replacing it with a new Neighbourhood Policing Ringfence. This will guarantee Forces deliver on targets for neighbourhood policing, while freeing them from the burden of arbitrary Officer headcount targets.

Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said:- "Since taking office, this Government has increased Police funding by nearly:- �2 billion. We are restoring neighbourhood policing, with nearly 2,400 more neighbourhood Officers in our communities. And we are now reforming policing, so local Forces protect their communities, and national Policing protects us all."

Since 2023, Police chiefs have been Forced to maintain arbitrary Officer headcounts each year via the Officer Maintenance Grant. This has led to Forces hiring uniformed Officers and then, in some cases, putting them in back office roles instead of out in communities, tracking down suspects and attending call outs from victims.

As a result, the number of trained Officers in support roles has soared by over 40% to more than 12,600 in the last 6 years, while the total number of Officers only increased by around 20% in the same period.

The Government will end the Officer Maintenance Grant, marking a significant shift to put more Officers in our communities and high streets to fight crime and catch criminals.

The grant will be replaced by a new Neighbourhood Policing Ringfence, allowing Forces to put together a workforce mix to meet their local needs and priorities.

On Monday, the Home Secretary announced the largest reforms to Policing since the Police Service was founded 2 centuries ago.

A �119 million investment in:- 2026 to 2027 will kickstart these reforms, including:- the creation of a new national centre for AI in policing, rolling out live facial recognition across the country, and boosting data capabilities across the Policing system.

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Over 967,000 people in the North West eligible for life saving lung cancer checks

North West receives record funding increase to boost Neighbourhood Policing