The Australian Government introduced the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) to reduce the number of deaths from bowel cancer in Australia. People with cancers diagnosed through the Program had a 40% lower risk of dying than people who had not been screened.
 
Currently, eligible people aged 50-74 will receive a tax-payer funded faecal immunochemical test (FIT) in the mail and asked to take two separate poo samples before sending the completed test back to the laboratory for analysis.
 
From 1 July 2024, the eligible screening age for the NBCSP will be lowered from 50 to 45.
  • Eligible people aged 45-49 can request their first bowel cancer screening test be mailed to them.
  • Eligible people aged 50-74 will continue to receive a bowel cancer screening test in the mail every 2 years.
All eligible people aged 45-74 can also ask their GP about getting a screening test.
 
The next test will automatically be mailed every 2 years after your last screening test is completed. 
 
For further information about the NBCSP please call their contact centre on 1800 627 701 or you can get in touch via the Program's website.

If you are ineligible to participate in the Program, talk to your GP or pharmacist about how to purchase a BowelScreen Australia ColoVantage test. Alternatively purchase a screening test from Bowel Cancer Australia online or by calling 1800 727 336 (SCREEN) 

BowelScreen Australia


It's Crunch Time campaign
 
Bowel Cancer Australia was represented on the Australian Government's National Bowel Cancer Screening Program Advisory Group and Communications Working Group, which focused on the roll out of the Program and the development of a national communications framework.
 
In 2006, the then Minister for Health, the Hon Tony Abbott MP, announced funding for Bowel Cancer Australia to roll-out the first ever national campaign to promote participation by eligible Australians in Phase I and II of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program.
 
The It's Crunch Time campaign featured Australian Test cricketer and commentator, the late Max Walker AM.
 
In the 2014 Federal Budget, the Coalition Government announced an additional $95.9 million over four years to accelerate implementation of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program to all Australians aged 50 to 74 years by 2020 as the previous Labor Government had only committed to full implementation by 2034.

Related Information

Share your colonoscopy experience

My Colonoscopy Experience

Bowel Care Nurses

Bowel Care Nurses

Order a Screening Test

BowelScreen Australia