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The former West Midlands Travel bus travels around off ering cancer screening sessions. It is pictured here in Burton-upon-Trent. MAXSON GOH
Maxson Goh catches up with the Staffordshire cancer bus in Burton-upon-Trent to see how it is helping the region’s residents
A 48-year-old red Daimler bus is not what you’d expect to see inside a Burton-on-Trent Asda car park while on a weekly shop, but this one has a very special purpose. KIW 6356 was a West Midlands Travel bus in its early days before being sold to Beacon Radio, who used it for promotional tours. It has since been converted into the cancer bus, a mobile screening clinic designed to bring the NHS to the patient, facilitating early detection of cancer.
The bus is essentially an empty shell, with the lower deck designed as an open space divided into two sections: one for visitors to board and view informational posters on display boards, and another more private area for consultations. The upper deck
is reserved for staff and features a small kitchen area for preparing drinks, along with an open area furnished with tables and chairs. At the rear of the upper deck, there is an open-top section suitable for various activities, whilst down below sits a 10,450cc Gardner engine.
Early detection saves lives
Cancer Service Improvement Manager in the Planned Care Team in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board Jodie Furby said: “The primary objectives of the cancer bus is to raise awareness of cancer, its signs and symptoms and promote the importance of cancer screening and early detection, whilst providing support to those living with and beyond cancer. The national cancer target aims that by 2028, 75% of people with cancer will be diagnosed at stage 1 or 2, and 55,000 more people each year will survive for five years or more. Achieving this ambitious goal requires more than just improving services – it requires us to bring the NHS directly to its people.
Cancer Service Improvement Manager in the Planned Care Team in Staff ordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board Jodie Furby. MAXSON GOH
“We know that early diagnosis saves lives, but too many people face barriers that prevent them from accessing healthcare, such as lack of awareness, fear, stigma, and practical challenges like transport and availability. Without addressing these challenges, we risk leaving behind those most in need. Our aim is to use initiatives like the Cancer Bus to engage directly with our communities, understand the real barriers preventing people from seeking help, and work collaboratively to break them down.
“We also want to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer, encouraging people to seek medical advice if something doesn’t feel right. It’s vital that everyone is empowered to know their normal – to recognise changes in their body and act on them early. Spotting cancer symptoms early significantly increases the chances of successful treatment.
“Most importantly, we want the public to know that attending cancer screening does not mean you have cancer. Screening is designed to detect cancers at an early stage, when they are most treatable, giving people the best chance of successful treatment and the opportunity to go on to live full, healthy lives. By listening to people’s experiences and removing obstacles to healthcare access, we can improve early diagnosis rates, enhance patient outcomes, and ultimately help meet our national cancer targets.
Local GP Dr Sarah Skinner added: “The bus is here in Burton-on-Trent to raise awareness of the importance of attending for cancer screening appointments, and to talk to people about signs and symptoms that could suggest a person has cancer. There are also health checks, doing a bit of a general MOT for people who are interested.
Local GP Dr Sarah Skinner. MAXSON GOH
“It’s been interesting talking to a whole range of different people. There have been some people we’ve spoken to who have a diagnosis of cancer, who’ve been able to tell us about their experience. Others have told us how they regularly attend their screening appointments and how they see it as an important thing. And then there’s been other people who were a bit more reluctant, and hopefully we’ve had the opportunity to explain to them why screening is so important.”
A tried and proven concept
The idea of a cancer bus taking healthcare directly to the community is certainly not new, with a similar Black Country cancer bus tour having taken place in 2024. Many attendees were subsequently signposted to their GPs for follow-up care, demonstrating the programme’s effectiveness in identifying and addressing health concerns early. The tour also serves as an educational platform, providing attendees with information about the NHS’s three primary cancer screening programmes: breast, bowel, and cervical cancer.
This year’s cancer bus tour of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent was specifically planned to target areas with low participation or poor engagement in cancer screening, with the team having identified locations for the bus by analysing screening data and focusing on regions with low attendance rates or reduced involvement in screening programmes.
Programme Manager for Staff ordshire Lung Cancer Screening Janina Barnett. MAXSON GOH
Programme Manager for Staffordshire Lung Cancer Screening Janina Barlett commented: “We screen patients who are previous or current smokers aged 55 to 74. The importance really is early detection, our programme has been running in Stoke-on-Trent since 2019, and we’ve started to turn around the late-stage cancer diagnosis. In our programme, about 75% of the patients who attend have an early-stage cancer, and the early detection has enabled us to perform successful surgeries on the patients rather than waiting till the late stages where the options are reduced. We’re seeing real improvements in lung cancer survival rates as a result of the programmes.”
Jodie organised the tour with both primary and secondary care considerations in mind. She has also collaborated with St Giles Hospice, Macmillan Cancer Care, and various local cancer support groups at each location visited, ensuring comprehensive coverage of the cancer pathway and fostering networking opportunities across sectors. She worked along side Everyone Health, which helps the public with all aspects of health, fitness and well-being, and which have been providing free NHS Health checks on the bus.
During Coach & Bus Week’s visit to the cancer bus in Burton-upon-Trent, numerous residents were observed engaging warmly with the on-site staff, with some remarking how convenient it was to have the service at an Asda supermarket where people can conveniently attend their screenings alongside a a shopping trip.
The consultation room inside the bus. MAXSON GOH
MAXSON GOH
The Healthcare professionals volunteering on the bus engaged with the public, initiating conversations and providing them with a goody bag. The bag contained information on the signs and symptoms of various cancers, details about local cancer charities, and information on services such as social prescribing. Additionally, each goody bag included a free pen, packet of seeds, and trolley token, all featuring specially designed marketing to raise awareness of the ICB and the importance of early cancer detection.
Those who were eligible were also offered free NHS Health Checks, which consists of a BMI check, height, weight, blood glucose and cholesterol checks – along with a comprehensive conversation about their individual health needs. In the first week, the bus was able to offer 72 health checks.
Future plans
Before concluding the visit, Jodie shared her vision for the future: “My plans for the cancer bus include continuing to use it to raise cancer awareness in other areas across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent and exploring opportunities to use the bus to address other key healthcare issues within our communities. I aim to organise one or two cancer bus tours annually, with a particular focus on targeted work with our Primary Care Networks (PCNs). My goal is to hold PCN-specific events where the bus can provide the same vital services as this tour, but at a more local level, ensuring that support is accessible to those who need it most.
Social Prescriber at Burton Albion Duncan McCosh (left) and East Staff ordshire PCN Research & Support Manager Rachael Brown. MAXSON GOH
“Additionally, I would like to collaborate with the voluntary sector to target communities experiencing health inequalities, working together to improve health outcomes and reduce disparities across the region.”
The team was given a budget of £25,000 by the West Midlands Cancer Alliance, of which over £15,000 has been allocated to this three-week campaign, which concludes on 4 April 2025 in Leek.
