We welcome the Government’s budget announcement tonight of $96 million to make free bowel cancer screening available to all Australians aged 50 to 74 every two years.

The funding will see full implementation of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program by 2020. Biennial screening will be phased in from 2015 by first inviting 74 year olds to participate in the program.

This commitment will undoubtedly increase the number early detections, reducing the nation’s bowel cancer death toll and preventing people suffering bowel cancer unnecessarily.

Please remember that screening every two years is essential for the early detection of bowel cancer. More information on screening and how to obtain a screening test is available here.