Media release from Minister of health Tony Ryall

A further step towards a pilot bowel screening programme has begun with a request for proposals to undertake the four year pilot.  

Health Minister Tony Ryall says, "The four-year $24 million pilot programme was announced as part of this year's Budget and is expected to start in October next year. The funding will cover the pilot site(s), testing, and evaluation."

"It will involve more than 60,000 people in a two yearly screening test and referrals for further investigation where appropriate.

"The pilot will give vital information on participation levels, cancer detection rates, the stage of the disease at diagnosis, the impact on health services and the costs involved, and will help determine whether a screening programme should be rolled out nationally.

"It follows the most common international model used for bowel screening programmes, and involves a central organisation mailing a faecal occult blood test to all eligible people which they can complete in their own home and post to a laboratory for assessment.

Bowel screening programmes are either running or are being piloted in Australia, the UK, most countries in the European Union, Korea, Japan, Israel and parts of Canada.

International evidence suggests that a successful national bowel screening programme could save up to 270 lives a year in New Zealand.