A Self-Request Chest X-ray service is being piloted in Coalville - and the trial aims to help improve diagnosis of lung cancer and access to treatment for local people.

The Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland Integrated Care Board (LLR ICB), the University Hospitals of Leicester (UHL) and the East Midlands Cancer Alliance (EMCA) have worked together on the trial.

To date, since the pilot was launched, over 250 people from the Coalville area have requested to have a chest X-ray to determine if they could potentially have lung cancer without needing to be seen by their GP first. 

Detecting lung cancer earlier means that people can receive further specialist tests and timely treatment to help prevent the cancer from spreading or advancing to a higher stage. 

To be eligible to access the Self-Request Chest X-ray pilot you must: 

• Be aged 40 or older
• Registered with a GP practice in Coalville
• Have not had a chest X-ray or chest CT in the last three months

You must also have had one or more of the following symptoms for more than three weeks: 

• Loss of appetite or weight 
• Chest pain
• Fatigue or tiredness
• Cough
• Difficulty in breathing. 

If you have any lung cancer symptoms that continue for three weeks or more and you reside outside the Coalville area, please contact your GP practice, or call NHS 111 for support and guidance. 

Michael Specht, 75 from Coalville, was made aware about the chest X-ray pilot by his GP practice.

He said: "I'd had a cough for over seven weeks, and it was constant, it kept me awake at night and it made it difficult for me to breathe properly. 

"One day I received a text message from my GP practice telling me about the trial service, so I called the helpline, I explained my symptoms and I was invited for a chest X-ray at my local community hospital. 

"I've now been diagnosed with small cell lung cancer and have already started my treatment.

"If it wasn't for the text message, and this service I wouldn't have sought help and who knows where I'd be. I would highly recommend the service - if you have symptoms call the number." 

The pilot Self-Request Chest X-ray service is being run initially in Coalville and the surrounding areas to support people in more rural and deprived communities where there is a high prevalence of smokers, to have faster access to lung cancer diagnosis checks by requesting to have an initial x-ray without needing to see their GP first. 

The local NHS will review the pilot service after its initial term.

Dr Amit Patel, a local GP in Leicestershire said: "Earlier detection of lung cancer can help to save lives, as part of this initial pilot we're aiming to reach as many people in the Coalville area who are displaying early symptoms of lung cancer and urging them not to wait to see their GP but to contact the self-request chest x-ray service and book an x-ray if required. 

"We hope through this pilot to help prevent later diagnosis with better outcomes for our people." 

If you meet the eligibility criteria, please call: 0116 2588765 and select option 5. Telephone lines are open between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). 

Trained operators will guide you through the next steps and will be able to confirm if you are eligible for a free chest x-ray as part of the pilot programme. They will book you in for your chest x-ray if you are eligible.

The impact of services such as the self-request chest x-ray pilot are far reaching and can make a real difference to patient outcomes. 

Sharon Savory, Macmillan lung cancer nurse who works with cancer patients in the local area said: "I'm really pleased to be involved in the pilot of the self-request chest x-ray project. 

"It is a subject close to my heart as early detection of lung cancer really can change lives. This project has given our patients the chance to take the initiative and go for the x-ray in a timely manner and if needed access the treatment and diagnostics that they need."