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Te Pū rauemi KOWHEORI-19 COVID-19 resource hub

Support for people working in health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Find information about how you can support yourselves and others, including consumers, teams and colleagues which complements and aligns with Ministry of Health resources.

Kia āta kōwhiri Choosing Wisely

The Choosing Wisely campaign seeks to reduce harm from unnecessary and low-value tests and treatment.

Arotakenga Mātai Whēkau ā-Motu

National Bowel Screening Programme Review

In February 2018 Health Minister Hon. Dr David Clark initiated an independent review of the National Bowel Screening Programme.

In February 2018 Health Minister Dr David Clark initiated an independent review of the National Bowel Screening Programme after it was found some people did not receive invitations for screening during the pilot phase of the programme that ran from 2011 to 2017.

Issues associated with the Bowel Screening Pilot Information Technology System (BSP) and operational processes meant some eligible participants were not invited/re-invited for screening. For some people this may have led to a delay in their bowel cancer diagnosis.

The review set out to consider how well positioned the National Bowel Screening Programme is for successful delivery, the robustness of the invitation process, and how lessons learnt can be applied to ensure a safe and successful roll out of the national programme. It looked at a broad range of factors, including information technology, district health board (DHB) capacity, operational management and clinical matters.

The review was carried out by an expert panel, led by Professor Gregor Coster, with members Dr William Rainger, Dr Mary Seddon, and Professor Graeme Young. The Health Quality & Safety Commission provided project management and secretariat support to the review team.

The review began on 21 March 2018 and the final report was submitted to the Director-General of Health on 7 July 2018.

The final report was released by the Minister of Health on 8 August 2018.

Review team members

Frequently asked questions

Further information

Published: 21 Oct 2021 Modified: 16 Dec 2021