Joining the programme

You don’t need to do anything to join the programme. You will be invited to attend around the time you turn 60, and a test kit will be sent to you. If you stay on the programme, you will continue to be sent a test kit every two years from the ages of 60 to 74.

Age range for bowel screening

Currently the free National Bowel Screening Programme is for those aged 60 to 74 who are eligible for publicly-funded health care, as this is the age group with the highest risk of developing bowel cancer. However, anyone who has concerns about their bowel health should raise these with their GP, no matter what age group they're in.

The age at which Māori and Pacific people can have free bowel screening is being lowered to start at 50. This will happen across the country over the next couple of years. See our 50-74 screening: Māori and Pacific people page for more information.

The age is being lowered for Māori and Pacific people because a higher proportion of bowel cancer occurs in Māori and Pacific people before reaching age 60, compared with others.

If you are already over 60 and haven’t been sent a kit

The National Bowel Screening Programme was rolled out across New Zealand in a phased way and has only been offered throughout the whole country since May 2022. This means the programme has only recently become available to people in some areas.

Eligible people will receive an invite within two years of their district joining the programme. For a list of districts and when they joined the programme, see below. If the programme has been underway in your area for more than two years and you haven‘t received an invite, please advise the National Bowel Screening Programme by emailing info@bowelscreening.health.nz. You will receive a response within 10 working days.

If you don’t receive a kit shortly after turning 60

Most people are invited to join the National Bowel Screening Programme around the time they turn 60. If you haven’t received an invitation within two months of turning 60, please email the National Bowel Screening Programme on info@bowelscreening.health.nz and you will be advised when your invite will be sent. You will receive a response within 10 working days.

People 75 years and over

There are clinical reasons for why the age range for bowel screening is 60 to 74. From age 75 years there are often factors that make colonoscopy, which is an invasive procedure, riskier. This is because health problems increase with age and a more individual approach, guided by a person's general practitioner, is more appropriate. For these reasons, most bowel screening programmes in the world only screen people up to age 74.

People over the age of 75 can develop bowel cancer, so it's important to know what your bowel motions look like normally, and what your bowel habits are. If you notice changes that are not usual for you, you should have them checked by your doctor as soon as possible. These symptoms may not be signs of bowel cancer, but there may be other bowel issues that need to be checked out.

Buying or using a screening test kit outside the bowel screening programme

The National Bowel Screening Programme does not endorse or encourage the use of Faecal Occult Blood Testing (FOBT) kits outside the National Bowel Screening Programme.

If you have symptoms such as blood in your poo or a change in your bowel habit that continues, please talk to your doctor.

FOBT kits have previously been available to purchase in New Zealand through pharmacies and others, but the supply is currently very limited.

It is important to note that a positive result from a National Bowel Screening Programme test kit is followed by the offer of a free follow up investigation, usually colonoscopy within a certain time frame. This is not the case for purchased kits.

If you have a family history of bowel cancer

Some people may have an increased risk of developing bowel cancer. The risk factors include:

• you have two or more close family members on the same side of the family who have had bowel cancer
• you have a close family member who was diagnosed with bowel cancer at a young age (under 55 years)
• you and your family have a known or suspected genetic bowel cancer syndrome.

If you have one of these risk factors you should discuss this with your doctor at your next visit. You may be advised to have regular colonoscopy or be referred to the New Zealand Familial Gastrointestinal Cancer Service for assessment.

If you are not already having regular colonoscopy and you receive a kit from the bowel screening programme, you should still do the bowel screening test, even if one of these risk factors applies to you.