Some health workers at Health NZ public hospitals and services are planning to strike on Thursday 23 October to 7am on Friday 24 October.
Emergency departments will be open for emergencies only. For more information:
Some health workers at Health NZ public hospitals and services are planning to strike on Thursday 23 October to 7am on Friday 24 October.
Emergency departments will be open for emergencies only. For more information:
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The age at which people can start taking part in free bowel screening is being lowered from 60 to 58 years old. Currently, people can have free bowel screening from the age of 60 to 74.
Lowering the age to 58 means that at least 122,000 more people will be eligible for screening over the first year. An estimated 771 additional bowel cancers and 566 additional deaths will be prevented over 25 years.
Now is a great time to make sure we have your correct address, so that we send your bowel screening kit to the right place. If your address has changed, update the details with your GP, or email your new address to us at info@bowelscreening.health.nz. Please include your date of birth or National Health Index (NHI) number in your email.
If you would like to find out more about whether you are eligible for free bowel screening, or about joining the programme, email us on info@bowelscreening.health.nz or call us on 0800 924 432
Tairāwhiti and MidCentral districts are offering bowel screening from the ago of 50 for Māori and Pacific Peoples as part of a two-year learning pilot. They complete their pilots later in 2025. Waikato district completed its two-year pilot in December 2024.
If you are part of these pilots, you will continue to be invited for bowel screening (provided you remain eligible and still live in that district) until you turn 58 and join the wider programme. This includes people who received a kit but did not return it — you will continue to be invited.