FAQs
If you are eligible for a lung health check you will be invited to attend a telephone appointment when we are screening patients from your practice.
Telephone appointments are available Monday – Friday 9am – 3.45pm, on a Tuesday and Thursday we offer evening appointments to 8pm (last appointment 7.30pm). From 1st July 2021 we will be offering Saturday morning appointments.
CT appointments are available 7 days a week. If the date or time is not convenient please call the number on the letter to rearrange.
Other languages are available on request. We have Polish, Punjabi, Romanian and Urdu; please call 01782 671553 or 01782 671554 to request your specific language.
At a CT appointment we can arrange translation and interpreter services to be in attendance.
We can offer a face to face appointment which are held at convenient locations around the city. We can also arrange a British Sign Language interpreter to be present at this appointment.
To arrange a face to face appointment with a BSL interpreter please email us on Lung.healthproject@nhs.net to arrange.
If you are referred for a CT scan we can arrange for a British Sign Language interpreter to be in attendance.
Yes. We can send out an easy read leaflet to help you understand the appointment and longer time slots.
We can also make arrangements for your carer to attend with you if you wish to attend a face to face appointment.
There is also a link to an Easy Read Patient Information Booklet with voice over.
We will make a note of this during your telephone appointment and if needed, we will advise the team performing your CT scan.
Your CT will be performed at Royal Stoke University Hospital or County Hospital, Stafford both buildings have accessibility throughout.
You will receive your results within 4 weeks and a letter will go to your GP. Depending on your results, you may need to see your GP or another doctor to talk about your results.
If your first CT scan is normal.
If your first CT scan is normal you will be invited back for another CT scan in 2 years time (24 months after your first CT scan) if your second CT is also normal you will be invited back for further CT scans every 2 years until you age out of the programme at 75 years old.
However, it is still possible that lung cancer could develop or that the scan may have missed it. If you notice anything that is not normal for you before your next scan, tell your doctor.
If your first CT scan shows an abnormality.
Further scan needed
This usually means there are some shadows on the scan. It is probably something harmless but it could be more serious. We will write and ask you to come for another scan sooner than normal, in around three months, just to check.
Abnormal result
This means there is something abnormal on the scan and you need further tests. We will call you and write to the hospital so you can be seen by a doctor. It could mean you have lung cancer. Around half of people with an abnormal result will have lung cancer.
Incidental finding
This means there is no sign of lung cancer but there are signs of other problems on the scan that may need treatment or medical advice. We will write to you and your GP, you may need to see your GP or another doctor.
You will get your results within four weeks.
There are four possible results:
No abnormalities found
This means that no signs of lung cancer or other abnormalities were seen on the scan. We will write to you with the results and ask you to come back for another scan in two years. However, it is still possible that lung cancer could develop or that the scan may have missed it. If you notice anything that is not normal for you before your next scan, tell your doctor.
Further scan needed
This usually means there are some shadows on the scan. It is probably something harmless but it could be more serious. We will write and ask you to come for another scan sooner than normal, in around three months, just to check.
Abnormal result
This means there is something abnormal on the scan and you need further tests. We will call you and write to the hospital so you can be seen by a doctor. It could mean you have lung cancer. Around half of people with an abnormal result will have lung cancer.
Incidental finding
This means there is no sign of lung cancer but there are signs of other problems on the scan that may need treatment or medical advice. We will write to you and your GP, you may need to see your GP or another doctor.
We understand that some symptoms of lung cancer are like those of coronavirus. It is important to look out for anything that is unusual for you.
If you notice any of the following, without coronavirus symptoms.
Please contact your GP as soon as possible for:
- Unexplained persistent cough
- Unexplained persistent breathlessness
- Fatigue lasting four or more weeks
- Persistent or recurrent chest infection
- Unexplained weight loss
- Appetite loss
If you are unsure or do not want to attend your CT appointment because of concerns about coronavirus, then please contact the imaging appointment team on your CT letter to discuss this.