Bowel screening

The National Bowel Screening Programme aims to save lives by finding bowel cancer at an early stage when it can often be successfully treated.

Bowel screening programme

The National Bowel Screening Programme is a free programme to help detect bowel cancer. It is offered every 2 years to help find bowel cancer at an early stage.

Doing the bowel screening test

Find out about the bowel screening test, how you can do it at home and the next steps once you have received your results.

Check if you're eligible for bowel screening

Check here to see who can take part in the free bowel screening programme

Colonoscopy

A colonoscopy uses a very small camera on a flexible tube to look directly at the lining of your large bowel (colon).

Bowel cancer

Bowel cancer develops when abnormal cells in the colon or rectum grow in an uncontrolled way. Aotearoa New Zealand has one of the highest rates of bowel cancer in the world.

Bowel screening privacy and complaints

Your information will be kept secure and will only be used for purposes related to the screening programme.

Bowel screening starting age being lowered to 58

The age at which people can start taking part in free bowel screening is being lowered from 60 to 58 years old. Currently, people can have free bowel screening from the age of 60 to 74.

Bowel screening resources

All bowel screening resources Opens in new tab
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Positive bowel screening test result: What happens next - English

Reviewed July 2024

All about bowel screening brochure English

Reviewed July 2024

This little test helps find bowel cancer early

Reviewed May 2024

Mā tēnei whakamātautau iti - This little test - te reo Māori

Reviewed May 2024

National Bowel Screening Programme National campaign poster A3 English

Reviewed April 2023

National Bowel Screening Programme National campaign poster A3 reo Māori

Reviewed April 2023

Contact us

Contact us to find out more about the National Bowel Screening Programme.