The closing date for applications for the National Indigenous Bowel Screening Pilot has been extended to July 27 following an enthusiastic response from primary health care services.
More than 30 primary health care centres have already applied to take part in the Pilot, which aims to improve access to the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The NBCSP offers free bowel screening kits to people aged between 50 and 74. Participation by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is about half that of other Australians (19.5% compared to 42.7%). Research and consultations have shown that many of the barriers to bowel screening could be addressed if Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were able to receive screening kits at their local primary health care centre, instead of by mail.
The Pilot project will give primary health care centres a chance to do just that – to see if an alternative way of accessing the NBCSP can boost participation.
For more information, go to the Indigenous Bowel Screen website, email the Project team at Menzies, or call them on (07) 3169 4213.