Bowel screening is offered every 2 years to people aged 58 to 74 years across most of the country. MidCentral District offers bowel screening from the age of 60 to 74 and will introduce the lower starting age of 58 in coming months.
The Government has announced that the starting age for free bowel screening will be lowered to 56, starting from 30 September 2026. See the National Bowel Screening Programme website for more information.