Cancer Screening Update – What’s new and what’s coming

Cancer Screening Update – What’s new and what’s coming

27 May, 2024

Eligible age lowering of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program

The Government has announced that from 1 July 2024 it is lowering the eligible screening age for the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program from 50 to 45. This means that people aged 45 to 49 can now join the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program by requesting their first free bowel cancer screening kit at www.ncsr.gov.au/boweltest.

This change comes off the back of recent updates to colorectal cancer clinical guidelines which recommend population bowel cancer screening be offered to people from the age of 45. People aged 50 to 74 who are due to screen will continue to receive their free kit in the mail every two years. All eligible people aged 45 to 74 can also ask their doctor about getting a kit.

Learn more about the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program at www.health.gov.au/nbcsp.

Learn more about the Clinical practice guidelines for the prevention, early detection, and management of colorectal cancer at www.cancer.org.au/go/clinical-guidelines-bowel.


Cervical Screening National Campaign: Is your practice ready to support the choice?

Join us for our next Quality Improvement webinar series on increasing Cervical Cancer Screening Rates (including self-collection) at your practice.

Two campaigns are commencing in 2024 to promote cervical screening and the self-collection option for cervical screening. We expect the campaigns will lead to increased demand for cervical screening and particularly the self-collect option, particularly as self-collection may be a more sensitive and acceptable option for under-screened patients.

To assist your practice team to be ready to support your patients requesting self-collection or more information about the test, EMPHN are running a series of webinars and launching the next QI activity focusing on increasing cervical screening rates.


Webinar 1: For GPs and Practice Nurses (RACGP CPD Activity)

Improving health outcomes by incorporating Cervical Screening Self-Collection.

In this session, GPs and practice nurses will be provided with the tools to effectively support patients to make an informed choice about cervical screening self-collection, and to better engage those who are reluctant to screen.

Date: Wednesday 5th June 2024

Time: 6:00pm – 7:30pm

Register now.


Webinar 2: Quality Improvement Lunch and Learn - For Practice Teams

Increasing uptake of cervical screening rates at your practice (including self-collection)

In this session, attendees will be stepped through practical tips and ideas to support practices with implementing quality improvement activities to increase cervical screening rates and uptake of self-collection.

Date: Thursday 13th June 2024

Time: 12.30pm – 1.15pm

Register now.


For more information contact:

EMPHN quality improvement and digital enablement team: digitalhealth@emphn.org.au.

EMPHN practice support: practicesupport@emphn.org.au.