Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has begun a major new drive to detect oesophageal cancer sooner, launching one of the country’s first large‑scale case‑finding projects that proactively contacts patients by text and invites them to book a quick test before symptoms even appear.
The initiative, already under way in parts of Somerset, uses an artificial intelligence platform called C the Signs to scan GP records and identify people who meet specific clinical risk factors. Early data suggests around 3,000 Somerset residents may be at higher risk and eligible for the capsule sponge test. More than 1,900 people have already received a text message, with an encouraging 18% responding and nearly 350 going on to have the test.
The project began at Taunton Road Medical Centre in Bridgwater and has since expanded to all GP practices in the town, with the Trust now working to roll it out county‑wide. Those identified as eligible receive a text message recommending they complete a short assessment form, and the Trust is urging residents to trust the message and follow the link.
Rosie Edgerley, cancer programme manager at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, said the new approach is designed to reach people long before symptoms develop. She explained that the AI system searches GP records for patients who meet certain risk factors, then sends them a link to complete a brief assessment. If they are eligible, they are invited for a capsule sponge test – a minimally invasive procedure that can detect Barrett’s oesophagus, a known precursor to cancer.
The test involves swallowing a small capsule attached to a string. After seven minutes in the stomach, it opens into a tiny sponge that is gently withdrawn, collecting cells from the oesophagus for analysis. “Based on those results, it will determine the next steps,” Rosie said. “As these text messages will likely come out of the blue, we want people to trust them and book an appointment.”
Dr Emma Wesley, consultant gastroenterologist and clinical lead for the project, said early detection is crucial. Only around one in four Somerset patients are currently diagnosed at stage 1 or 2. “By the time a person has symptoms, they’re more likely to be at stage 3 or 4, when treatment options are much less,” she said. “If we catch the cancer early it has a high chance of being cured. Unfortunately, if the cancer presents late, it’s often fatal.”
The project supports the ambitions of the National Cancer Plan, which aims for 75% of patients diagnosed from 2035 to be cancer‑free or living well after five years. Bridgwater was chosen as the starting point due to pockets of deprivation linked to higher risk factors such as smoking and obesity, and because the town benefits from both a community diagnostic centre and an endoscopy unit at Bridgwater Hospital.
Dr Wesley said the Trust’s direct contact approach is unusual but effective. “Not many NHS trusts have reached out to this group of patients in this way before,” she said. “It’s a bit like a filter test: if it’s negative, the patient is discharged, but if it’s positive, they go on to have an endoscopy. If we message you, please engage by following the link.”
Pictured (left to right): Laura Saunderson – specialist capsule sponge nurse; Richard – patient; Thomas Varakappalliyil – specialist capsule sponge nurse; Dr Emma Wesley – consultant gastroenterologist.
