- By Jane Nixon, Franklin Times
A Health New Zealand spokesperson says the cost of bringing down the age for free bowel screening will be $44 million over three years.
Health New Zealand’s goal is to bring the screening age down even further as the first step in free screening rolled out on Monday.
Health Minister Simeon Brown announced on October 4 that the starting age for free bowel screening will be lowered from 60 to 58 in Northland, Auckland, and the South Island, with the rest of the North Island to follow in March.
“Earlier this year, I confirmed the Government’s commitment to lowering the bowel screening age to match Australia, so that fewer New Zealanders die from bowel cancer,” Brown said.
“The first step is lowering the eligibility age from 60 to 58. This means thousands more people will now have access to lifesaving testing, giving them the best chance of having bowel cancer detected early, when it can often be successfully treated.”
A Health New Zealand spokesperson told the Times the rollout will cost $44m for the financial years 2024/25, 2025/26 and 2026/27.
“This is for the rollout of age extension, and funding of initiatives to improve participation for populations with lower screening rates.
“Our goal is to bring the age down even further, and building colonoscopy capacity is key to achieving that.”
Brown said lowering the starting age to 58 will see 122,000 people become eligible for free screening in the first year alone.
Over the next 25 years, the change is expected to prevent 771 bowel cancers and save 566 lives.
People in Northland, Auckland, and the South Island will be eligible for the lower starting age from October 6, with those in the central and lower North Island from March.
All newly eligible people nationwide will be invited for free screening by March 2027.
“The Government is also introducing a new nationwide pathway called the FIT for Symptomatic test.
“This is a simple, non-invasive home test that uses a stool sample to check for traces of blood – an early warning sign of bowel cancer.
“It will allow anyone of any age with bowel cancer symptoms referred to a specialist to quickly assess their risk without needing to wait for a colonoscopy.”
The FIT for Symptomatic pathway has already been launched in Waikato and will be introduced in Counties Manukau, Waitematā, and Hawke’s Bay over the next two months, ahead of a nationwide roll out next year.
“This will free up specialist capacity by prioritising colonoscopies for those at highest risk and reducing unnecessary referrals, leading to shorter wait times, faster diagnoses, and more resources to expand screening,” Brown said.
“Bowel cancer is New Zealand’s second biggest cancer killer.
“By lowering the screening age, rolling out the FIT for Symptomatic pathway, expanding diagnostic capacity, and investing in targeted initiatives, we are taking action that will save hundreds of lives and prevent thousands of families from losing loved ones too soon.”
