An NHS drive to provide life-saving lung health checks in Barking and Dagenham has reached a major milestone after a 500th local person underwent their free scan.

Current and former smokers aged 55-74 in the borough are being offered the checks following the launch of the pilot in July, and all those eligible are being encouraged to accept invitations.

Following an initial phone assessment with a specially trained healthcare professional, scans take place in a dedicated scanning truck and are quick, simple and safe.

Dr Rebecca Taylor, Clinical Director for the Targeted Lung Health Check Programme in north east London, said: ‘We are very pleased with the uptake of the programme so far, with many residents taking advantage of this free opportunity.

“We are aiming to find out how well your lungs are working and to rule out any serious conditions. Finding out early can make any treatment simpler and more successful.

“The scan itself is simple, safe and takes less than a minute. It’s really important for people to respond to the instructions on their invite letter.”

The campaign forms part of the national Targeted Lung Health Check Programme which also aims to promote healthier lifestyles, with advice about stopping smoking. As part of this, people will be encouraged to get in touch with their local stop smoking services.

To find out more, visit the North East London Cancer Alliance webpage.