National Bowel Screening Programme | Southern
Description
Southern DHB saving lives through bowel screening
The aim of the National Bowel Screening Programme is to save lives by finding pre-cancerous polyps or bowel cancer at an early stage when they can often be successfully treated.
The National Bowel Screening Programme is an invitation-based screening programme. You have the choice to opt out of bowel screening if you wish.
To be invited to participate in the bowel screening programme, you must:
- be aged 60 to 74 years
- be eligible for publicly-funded health care
- not be receiving treatment or surveillance for bowel cancer.
If you’re eligible, you will receive an invitation letter, a consent form and a free bowel screening test kit through the mail. The test kit is easy, quick and clean to complete at home, and is returned directly to the laboratory by freepost.
If you have any concerns about your bowel health at any age, you should contact your GP right away.