Western Victoria Primary Health Network (WVPHN) is delighted to have recruited 20 general practices and one Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) in the Wimmera Grampians region to its new National Cancer Screening Register (NCSR) Engagement Project.
The NCSR is a critical tool for health professionals to assist their patients in gaining access to the National Cancer Screening Programs. The NCSR is a unified national record for participants in both the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) and the National Cervical Screening Program, and from July this year it will also be a key tool for the National Lung Cancer Screening Program.
The NCSR Engagement project is in partnership with Grampians Integrated Cancer Services (GICS) and branches from the GICS’s current Colonoscopy Access Project. When completed, the project will raise the percentage of general practices that are integrated and using the NCSR in the GICS catchment area to above the Australian average of 46 percent. Currently the percentage of practices in the Wimmera Grampians region integrated with the NCSR is at 28 percent.
The project also aims to increase the number of Immunochemical Faecal Occult Blood Tests (iFOBT) issued by GPs from the NCSR and the completion of ‘GP forms’ through the NCSR Hub. It is well documented that GP discussions with patients regarding cancer screening increases the likelihood of patients to complete their tests. A recommendation from a GP to encourage their patient to complete a bowel cancer screening test has been proven to be a significant enabler to iFOBT completion (Cancer Council Australia, 2024).
All participating practices are required to form a project team, complete pre and post project surveys, and complete 1 x Plan-Do-Study-Act quality improvement activity focused on use of the NCSR for bowel cancer screening.
The project activity began in late April and will end on 28 July 2025, with an evaluation of the project released later in the year.
If you would like to learn more about the NCSR, you can find more information via the Primary Care Onboarding Kit.
If you’d like to learn more about this project, please contact [email protected].