Bowel screening
Bowel screening
National Bowel Screening Programme is a FREE programme to help detect Bowel Cancer. As of early December, in the Waikato the bowel screening test kits are being offered to Māori and Pacific from the age of 50 – 74 and 60 – 74 for everyone else.
The starting age is lower because a higher proportion of bowel cancer occurs in Māori and Pacific people before reaching 60, compared with others. In time, Māori and Pacific people throughout the country will have a lower starting age.
When it is your turn to take part you’ll be sent:
- An invitation letter
- A consent form
- A free bowel screening test kit
Māori and Pacific people in the districts above, aged between 50 and 59, will receive an invite through the mail to take part in free bowel screening. You might also receive your invite directly from a community health provider. You can call us on 0800 924 432 or talk to your GP about getting a kit.
Invitations will arrive around your birthday. People with a birth date that falls on an even number will be invited within the first 12 months of your area offering the lower age range. Those with a birth date that falls on an odd number will be invited in the second 12 months.
This simple test can detect bowel cancer early or prevent it by finding small growths of the bowel.
The test is clean and simple. Do the test at home, then post it back as soon as possible.
Bowel Screening is for people who don’t have any symptoms of bowel cancer. If you are experiencing any symptoms please contact your doctor, don’t wait to receive your bowel screening test.
A message to you from Dr Clarence Kerrison
How to do the bowel screening test video
The “How to do the bowel screening test" is available to view in 11 languages