NHS Essex wants Brentwood adults to answer a five-minute anonymous survey on what they would do if they noticed a change. It closes 11.59pm, 7 December.
NHS Essex is asking adults across the county, including in Brentwood, Shenfield, Hutton and Ingatestone, to fill in an anonymous five-minute survey about bowel cancer symptoms and screening. It closes at 11.59pm on Monday 7 December.
The integrated care board, which decides how the NHS budget for Essex is spent, says it wants to find out whether people recognise possible bowel cancer symptoms, what shapes the decisions they make when something changes, and why some people are more likely than others to take part in bowel cancer screening.
Why the board wants to know
Dr Elizabeth Towers, NHS Essex System Clinical Lead for Cancer, said the survey is less about testing knowledge than about understanding behaviour:
“When it comes to bowel cancer, understanding what people know is important. But understanding what people would actually do if they noticed a change can tell us even more.
“We know that people respond differently when something changes. Some seek advice straight away, while others may wait, look for information themselves or talk things through with others before acting.
“We want to understand those decisions better. The more we understand about people’s experiences and behaviours, the better placed we will be to identify where information, support and services could make the greatest difference.
“You don’t need any knowledge or experience of cancer to take part. We’d like to hear from as many people as possible across Essex.”
NHS Essex says every response will help build “the clearest picture yet” of what people in the county think about bowel cancer symptoms and screening.
Why there are no symptoms listed here
The survey opens by asking what symptoms or changes you think could be a sign of bowel cancer, and invites you to write anything you think of, even if you are not sure. NHS Essex deliberately left statistics, symptom information and advice out of its announcement, because they could sway answers and make it harder to learn what people already know and would do. We have followed that request, so this article does not list them either.
How to take part
The survey is open to anyone aged 18 and over who lives in Essex. Answers are anonymous. Go to the bowel cancer survey on Essex Virtual Views, the board’s online engagement site, before 11.59pm on Monday 7 December.
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