The Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (BCSP) in England and Bowel Screening Wales were introduced to reduce the number of bowel cancer associated deaths through early detection of the disease.
A colonoscopy is required for screening. To ensure patients receive a consistently high-quality endoscopic procedure, the clinicians carrying out the test must be JAG-accredited. JAG manages the accreditation process that all endoscopists must complete in order to work as an endoscopist within the English and Welsh screening programmes.
To be awarded bowel screener accreditation, an endoscopist must:
- be nominated by their local team
- complete an application form to demonstrate they meet criteria, which show they are meeting nationally agreed standards
- undertake and pass an assessment involving an online knowledge test and a practical assessment of technical and non technical skills completed by experienced assessors
JAG will support and guide prospective candidates through this process.
Every year approximately 60 candidates are assessed in England. Accreditation in Wales started in 2020.
Differences between the BCSA programme in England and Wales
The below details the differences between the programmes. After discussion at the BCSA Panel meeting (held on Thursday 26 October 2023), it was agreed that the process is similar and does not need altering.
| Candidate selection | |
| England | Wales |
| New screener request form filled out by candidate’s screening centre and sent to regional QA for review. | Programme manager at Bowel Screening Wales (Public Health Wales) sends candidate details to JAG (name, email, centre) for creating login to online application. |
| QA send to NHSE bowel screening team for final approval. | |
| NHSE send form to JAG to create application login for candidate. | |
| Online application form | |
| England | Wales |
| Lifetime colonoscopic procedures - minimum 1000. | Lifetime colonoscopic procedures - minimum 750. |
| No. of colonoscopies in last 12 months - minimum 120. | No. of colonoscopies in last 12 months - minimum 120. |
| Polyp detection – 20% | Polyp detection – 20% |
| Polyp retrieval – 90% | Polyp retrieval – 90% |
| CIR – 90% | CIR – 90% |
| 4 DOPyS forms from the last 12 months. | KPI data signed off by lead endoscopist. |
| Exam process | |
| England | Wales |
| MCQ – taken from pool of 117 questions. | MCQ – taken from pool of 77 questions. |
| DOPS – 2 cases per candidate with a backup case in the event a patient cannot be scoped. | DOPS – 2 cases per candidate with a backup case in the event a patient cannot be scoped or no technical skills have been assessed (i.e., no polyps removed). |