Honesty about new screening programmes is best policy

EDITOR—Austoker's editorial on gaining informed consent for screening is timely.1 The National Screening Committee has commissioned two pilot sites for screening for bowel cancer, and there has been hot debate about what information should be given to potential participants and how.

If we follow past practice we would give very general information aimed at encouraging an invited age group to attend. “Screening for bowel cancer is effective; thousands of lives can be saved; the test is painless and free and can be done in the privacy of your home; cancers can …