# Screen high-risk 55 to 74s for lung cancer

> “Rolling out screening to high-risk 55 to 74 year olds will save lives by detecting up to 9,000 lung cancers a year at an early stage.”
>
> — Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister, Conservative Party; Press release (Department of Health and Social Care), 26 June 2023

- **Status:** Delivering
- **Status ladder:** Promised → In plan → Legislated → Funded → Delivering → Delivered
- **Policy area:** [Health](https://ledgergov.uk/promises/area/health)
- **Speaker:** [Rishi Sunak](https://ledgergov.uk/actor/rishi-sunak), Prime Minister
- **Party:** [Conservative Party](https://ledgergov.uk/actor/conservatives)
- **Made on:** 26 June 2023
- **Where:** Press release (Department of Health and Social Care)
- **Deadline:** 31 March 2030
- **Cost a year:** Costs £0.24bn to £0.3bn a year (central £0.27bn by Department of Health and Social Care, official)
- **Who it affects:** People in England aged 55 to 74 who smoke or used to smoke and are assessed as at high risk of lung cancer, invited for a scan every two years
- **When:** 40% of eligible people reached by March 2025; full coverage by March 2030
- **Paid for by:** Not stated when it was announced
- **Quote source:** https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-lung-cancer-screening-roll-out-to-detect-cancer-sooner (checked word for word at its source on 20 October 2026; Open Government Licence v3.0)
- **Last updated:** 21 October 2026
- **Card:** https://ledgergov.uk/promise/uk-lung-cancer-screening-2030

## Where it stands

The screening programme is running and not yet complete. The National Cancer Plan for England (20 April 2026) says over 1.5 million people have attended a lung health check and over 9,000 have been diagnosed with lung cancer, 76% at stage 1 or 2, and commits to complete the roll-out by 2030, when every eligible person will have had a first invitation. The announcement aimed for full coverage by March 2030.

## Timeline

- 26 June 2023, Promised: The Prime Minister and the Health Secretary announce a national targeted lung cancer screening programme for high-risk 55 to 74 year olds
- 20 April 2026, Delivering: National Cancer Plan: over 1.5 million people have attended a lung health check; the government commits to complete the roll-out by 2030 ([evidence](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-cancer-plan-for-england/the-national-cancer-plan-for-england-delivering-world-class-cancer-care-accessible-version))
- 31 March 2030, Deadline (to come): Full coverage of the eligible population due by March 2030

## About the cost

The announcement says the programme will cost £270 million a year once fully implemented. Low–high is an editorial ±10% because the source gives a central figure only.

Costing sources:
- [Department of Health and Social Care: New lung cancer screening roll out to detect cancer sooner (26 Jun 2023)](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-lung-cancer-screening-roll-out-to-detect-cancer-sooner)

## Sources

- [Department of Health and Social Care: New lung cancer screening roll out to detect cancer sooner (26 Jun 2023)](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-lung-cancer-screening-roll-out-to-detect-cancer-sooner)
- [Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England: The National Cancer Plan for England (20 Apr 2026)](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-cancer-plan-for-england/the-national-cancer-plan-for-england-delivering-world-class-cancer-care-accessible-version)

## Checks

- Verified by Pavel Guzhikov, checked by AI Journalist; approved on 21 October 2026.
- Checked by AI Journalist (automated) on 20 October 2026.

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