Evolution Healthcare is committed to supporting the New Zealand National Bowel Cancer Screening Programme. Bowel cancer screening can save lives by early cancer detection when treatment can have better outcomes. The New Zealand Bowel Cancer Screening Programme is a free service available nationwide for people aged 60 to 74 years old.
Many Kiwis across Aotearoa, New Zealand may need a colonoscopy for screening or surveillance before the eligible age of the free screening programme. This may be because you have a strong family history of bowel cancer or other high risk conditions. If you have a family history of bowel cancer or believe you are at an increased risk of bowel cancer, talk to your GP to find out if referral is appropriate for colonoscopy, or contact one of our specialists.
Across our endoscopy services we are available to support you for surveillance and screening through our private services. Your General Practitioner can refer you into our services. You do not need to have private health insurance to access our private services, however costs do apply. Our team will work with you to provide an estimate for self-funding your care or liaise with your health insurance provider.
Available to eligible New Zealanders, aged 60 to 74 years. This programme aims to save lives by detecting bowel cancer at an early stage when it can often be more successfully treated. Bowel screening is available every two years and is free for people within the age group. The bowel screening kit, also known as the FIT kit, is used to detect any non-visible blood in your bowel motion which may be caused from pre-cancerous polyps or from early-stage bowel cancer.
If your FIT test is positive, it means that blood has been detected in your bowel motion and it is important to have a colonoscopy booked straight away for further investigation. If you have medical insurance, or would like to self-fund your colonoscopy, you can directly refer yourself into your nearest Evolution Endoscopy Unit, with a low wait time and fast tracking to your diagnostic procedure. Your GP can also refer you into your preferred Evolution Endoscopy Unit on your behalf.
Alternatively, your GP can refer you into your nearest public hospital as part of the bowel cancer screening programme.
Surveillance screening is available in New Zealand for those who are younger than the bowel cancer screening programme age yet have an increased in risk of bowel cancer due to family history. This is broken into three categories:
Depending on your risk of bowel cancer, your health insurance may cover your surveillance colonoscopies. This means you can have your colonoscopies undertaken at your Evolution Endoscopy Unit of choice. If you don’t have health insurance but are wanting to have your colonoscopy undertaken in our private hospitals and will self-fund, you can also enquire to book with us directly.
People with a slight increase in risk of bowel cancer, with one first-degree relative with bowel cancer diagnosed over the age of 55 years.
People with a moderate risk of bowel cancer who have one first-degree relative with bowel cancer diagnosed under the age of 55, and/or two first-degree relatives on the same side of the family with bowel cancer diagnosed at any age.
People with a potentially high risk of bowel cancer who have an extensive family history of bowel cancer through first and/or second-degree family members including multiple bowel polyps, a personal history or one first-degree relative with multiple colonic polyps, a personal history or first-degree relative with bowel cancer diagnosed under the age of 50, and more.
If you have had a colonoscopy with a specialist at an Evolution Endoscopy Service and require a follow-up consultation or colonoscopy you will be contacted to book your appointment in advance.
If you are due for a follow-up and have not had your colonoscopy within one of our Evolution Endoscopy Services, you can contact us. We will require a referral from your General Practitioner to receive your medical history.
If you are wanting to be referred to our specialists for surveillance screening, you or GP can complete our Online Referral Form to your hospital of choice