Australia’s National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) has the potential to prevent almost 84,000 bowel cancer deaths if 60% program participation rates could be reached and maintained over the next two decades.

It uses immunochemical faecal occult blood test (iFOBT) as an initial screening tool, with participants who test positive referred for colonoscopy for diagnostic assessment.

However, concerns about colonoscopy capacity and lengthy wait times between positive iFOBT and colonoscopy have hampered efforts to promote the program.

A separate research paper published in this issue of Public Health Research & Practice shows that only an estimated 10–14% of Medicare-funded colonoscopies (almost 75% of all colonoscopies) in Australia are generated by the NBCSP. 

This perspective suggests that inappropriate use of colonoscopy as a primary screening tool and failure to prioritise NBCSP participants may be the main reasons for long colonoscopy wait times associated with the program. IPromoting clinical practice guidelines, and the Direct Access Colonoscopy initiative for priority patients, are key to reducing colonoscopy wait times and proactive promotion of the NBCSP.