Bowel Screening Programme
The National Bowel Screening Programme is a free programme for men and women aged 60 to 74 years. It aims to save lives by detecting bowel cancer at an early stage when it can often be successfully treated.
The programme is being offered every two years to men and women who are:
- aged 60 to 74 years
- eligible for publicly funded health care
- not be receiving treatment or surveillance for bowel cancer.
If you are eligible to take part, you will be sent an invitation letter, a consent form and a free bowel screening test kit, with instructions on how to use it.
The screening test is quick, clean and simple to do by yourself at home and then you return the test in the freepost envelope which comes in the pack.
It is very important to write the date the test was completed on the consent form, or the test will be invalid!
Bowel screening is for people who don’t have any symptoms of bowel cancer. If you have any bowel symptoms which concern you, please talk to your doctor straight away.
For further information go to timetoscreen.nz, free phone 0800 924 432, or talk to your doctor.
Contact Information
Timaru Hospital
Queen Street
Timaru
Email: BowelScreening@scdhb.health.nz
Phone: 03 264 6623