TestingNHS England rolled out “heartburn health checks” across “dozens” of pharmacies yesterday. These are designed for people with persistent acid reflux or heartburn and will test for Barrett’s oesophagus, which can sometimes be a precursor to oesophageal cancer.  Barrett’s oesophagus refers to changes in the cells lining your food pipe, Cancer UK explained. Between 3% and 13% of people with the condition will go on to develop oesophageal cancer, and chronic indigestion and heartburn are its main symptoms.The new check, dubbed a “sponge on a string” test, can check for this condition in ten minutes. How does it work?Someone taking the test will swallow a “pill on a thread,” which will expand once in their stomach into a “penny-sized sponge. This sponge is then retrieved from the stomach using the string by a healthcare professional. The cells the sponge collects will be tested for pre-cancerous changes (a little like the swab used in a smear test). The test is currently used in hospitals and Community Diagnostic Centres, but now it’s being rolled out to high school pharmacies too. The pilot’s set to run for two years, after