Cancer Screening

Primary healthcare practitioners play a key role in improving cancer screening rates and reducing cancer risks.

Screening for cancer is a preventative measure and detects early signs of disease. This can be either before a cancer has developed or in its early stages before symptoms occur, when early interventions can be most successful. Research shows patients are more likely to participate in screening programs after talking with their general practitioner.

Cancer screening programs

Currently, there are three national screening programs:

Accessing Bowel Cancer Screening kits

Health care providers can bulk order National Bowel Cancer Screening kits for distribution to eligible patients aged 50 to 74 years. These kits must be issued to patients via the National Cancer Screening Register to ensure patients receive the results.

Find out more: Alternative access to bowel screening kits for healthcare providers | Department of Health and Aged Care

National Cancer Screening Register

The National Cancer Screening Register (NCSR) provides real-time access to participating screening information for both the National Cervical Screening Program and National Bowel Cancer Screening Program.

Health providers can use the register to:

order your patient a National Bowel Cancer Screening Program Test Kit
check patient screening information and program status
receive reminders for patients overdue for screening or follow-up
manage your patient’s participation in the bowel and cervical screening programs
check and update patient details
view and submit screening information about your patient, such as colonoscopy or colposcopy information
view patient program correspondence for bowel and cervical screening programs
nominate other people to assist your patient, including another doctor or a personal representative (bowel program only).

Providers can integrate their clinical software to complete these actions (Best Practice Premier, MedicalDirector Clinical, Communicare only) or online via the Healthcare Provider Portal.

For more information, please contact your Practice Facilitator or refer to the NCSR Quick Start Guide for Healthcare Providers.

Training

Online clinical education training for breast, bowel and cervical cancer screening is available via funding from the Department of Health and Aged Care.

The course is RACGP accredited for seven hours of CPD for the 2023-2025 triennium (educational activities 5.5 hours, reviewing performance 1.5 hours) and delivers the following learning outcomes:

Outline the importance of GP and nurse endorsement in influencing patients’ decisions to participate in cancer screening programs.
Apply culturally safe practice and provide equitable access for under-screened population groups.
Provide high quality, appropriate referral to screening and assessment services.
Implement quality improvements to practice systems to identify under-screened patients.
Be able to identify opportunities for data driven Quality Improvement related to improving cancer screening.

Enrol in the training via Breast, Bowel and Cervical Cancer Screening: Clinical Education Module | GPEX