We acknowledge the significant work of many clinicians, experts and advocates who provided evidence and advice as we establish the National Lung Cancer Screening Program (NLCSP).
Development timeline
In 2019, following a request from the Australian Government, Cancer Australia undertook an enquiry into lung cancer screening and published its findings in October 2020.
Following the enquiry, we worked in partnership with Cancer Australia to further explore the feasibility of a lung cancer screening program in Australia. Cancer Australia published the feasibility assessment work in May 2023.
In October 2022, the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) supported Cancer Australia’s application to establish a national lung cancer screening program to support early diagnosis, increased survivorship, and create better lung cancer outcomes. You can read MSAC’s public summary documents explaining the outcomes of the decision-making process.
The government considered MSAC’s recommendations in line with the Australian Cancer Plan and the National Tobacco Strategy.
On 2 May 2023, the Minister for Health and Aged Care announced the creation of the NLCSP.
The NLCSP will be available to eligible people from July 2025.
Co-designing with our partners
We are partnering with the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) and Cancer Australia to co-design and implement the NLCSP. This will help us achieve equity in cancer outcomes for those disproportionately impacted by lung cancer.
We continue to work with Cancer Australia and the health sector to design and establish the NLCSP. This work includes the development of NLCSP Guidelines, workforce education, participant information and ongoing research.
We are also working with NACCHO, who is leading the co-design of the NLCSP with and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities. NACCHO is partnering with the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (ACCHO) sector to make sure that the NLCSP is equitable, accessible and culturally safe for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The implementation of the NLCSP will also consider the barriers, enablers, and appropriate referral pathways for other priority populations disproportionately impacted by lung cancer. These include, but are not limited to:
- people living in rural and remote areas
- people with disability
- people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities
- people in the LGBTQIA+ community.
Design and implementation
The key pieces of work in the design and implementation phase of the NLCSP in the lead up to July 2025 include the following activities:
- Partnership – co-design the NLCSP with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, NACCHO, ACCHOs and priority populations, including stakeholder consultation and governance.
- Access – consider mobile screening and patient travel support to ensure people in rural and remote areas can access the NLCSP.
- Clinical – develop program guidelines and protocols, quality framework and performance indicators, structured reports, workforce education materials and participant information.
- Legislation – amend the National Cancer Screening Register Act 2016 to include lung cancer in the National Cancer Screening Register.
- National Cancer Screening Register (NCSR) – configure the NCSR to include lung cancer screening. The NCSR helps participants and healthcare providers manage the journey through the NLCSP including receiving updates and reminders.
- Medical Benefits Schedule (MBS) – create 2 new MBS item numbers (with mandatory bulk billing and reporting to the NCSR): one for the screening low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) test and one for interval LDCT scans.
- Communications – develop a national communication campaign to promote and encourage participation in the NLCSP.
Participation in the NLCSP will be available via existing health services, including through:
- general practitioners and specialists
- nurse practitioners
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers and health practitioners
- public and private radiology service providers
- respiratory physicians
- oncologists.
The appropriate healthcare provider will refer an eligible individual to a radiology (medical imaging) provider to have an LDCT scan every 2 years.
Eligibility considerations
When considering a lung cancer screening program, MSAC looked at:
- the impact of lung cancer screening in Australia
- the safety and effectiveness of different lung screening options
- who would benefit the most from screening (using age and risk assessment tools).
MSAC considered Cancer Australia’s lung cancer screening enquiry report and feasibility study to support its findings.
MSAC’s evaluation found targeting people known to be at highest risk of lung cancer will ensure the program is safe and effective.
Following its review, MSAC recommended the Australian Government create a national lung cancer screening program. MSAC also provided eligibility criteria for the program.
You can read MSAC’s findings in the July 2022 public summary document.
Ensuring equitable access
We are working with our co-design partners, NACCHO and Cancer Australia, peak bodies and state and territory government health departments on the best way to deliver equitable access to lung cancer screening – in particular to those who are disproportionately impacted by lung cancer.
We are working with the Lung Foundation Australia to provide recommendations on how to remove barriers and enhance access to screening for non-Indigenous priority populations.
We will tailor communications campaigns and educational materials to help increase awareness of the NLCSP and encourage participation to support priority populations.
Access for rural and remote communities – mobile screening
It can be hard to access health services, like CT scans, in rural and remote areas. To ensure that all eligible Australians can access the NLCSP, there will be specific services to support rural and remote communities. These include patient travel support services to mobile and fixed screening locations.
We have commissioned Heart of Australia to deliver mobile lung cancer screening services to rural and remote communities across Australia. We will co-design service delivery routes to ensure areas with the greatest need can access the program. We will co-design the routes with:
- NACCHO
- Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs)
- the NLCSP Expert Advisory Committee (clinicians)
- the NLCSP Advisory Group (states and territories).
Heart of Australia will work with communities before mobile screening days so that as many eligible people as possible can get screened while the service is there. It will also continue to offer broader health services to community members.
We commissioned Heart of Australia because it:
- has more than 10 years of experience providing culturally safe medical services to First Nations communities and in rural and remote locations
- is committed to co-designing services that meet not just the health needs, but also consider the cultural and holistic needs of a community.
Quality assurance and monitoring
We will establish a quality assurance framework to outline the approach to measuring, monitoring and evaluating the NLCSP. The framework will ensure the program is high-quality, delivered safely and administered effectively. It will provide:
- the principles and requirements that define the NLCSP’s quality objectives and standards
- a suite of performance indicators and benchmarks.
We will use these to monitor the NLCSP's performance and outcomes.
We will also develop and implement a quality improvement plan to drive continuous quality improvement throughout the life of the program.
Evaluation
MSAC recommended that the program be reviewed in 5 years to assess the effectiveness of the NLCSP and its delivery model. The evaluation will summarise lessons learned and future goals to inform improvements to the NLCSP. The evaluation will also consider new clinical evidence and technologies in its review.
Research
We are working with Cancer Australia to establish a research program to support adaptation and implementation of new evidence and technologies into the NLCSP over time. Areas of research may include, but are not limited to:
- implementation research to apply new research to current practices in the NLCSP
- research that focusses on novel technologies as they become available
- new clinical guidance as our understanding of the NLCSP in practice evolves.
Consultation with key stakeholders
We will continue to consult with key stakeholders including:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector and peoples
- priority populations and consumer peak bodies
- clinical colleges and peak bodies
- Primary Health Networks
- community and consumer representatives
- researchers
- Australian Government and state and territory government health departments.
We will advertise public consultations on this site. You can contact us with questions.
Involvement of and support for healthcare providers
The NLCSP provides the opportunity to improve lung cancer services in Australia. The involvement and support of healthcare providers is vital to the success of the program. We will continue to work with a range of stakeholders regarding the workforce required to deliver the NLCSP, including states and territory governments, professional colleges and peak bodies. For example, the Daffodil Centre will develop a suite of information materials for various audiences. Healthcare provider modelling was undertaken as part of the Cancer Australia feasibility study.
Supporting the health workforce
The Australian Government is delivering critical funding to strengthen the health workforce and make it easier for Australians to get the care they need, including those related to lung cancer services.
The Scope of Practice Review is considering some aspects that are relevant to the NLCSP, including the consideration of workforces who likely have the appropriate training and knowledge to support the NLCSP’s referral pathway. For example, this may include reviewing whether other healthcare providers’ scope could be expanded to include CT scan referrals.
See Unleashing the Potential of our Health Workforce – Scope of Practice Review for more information.
Promoting participation
Along with workforce and patient education and information materials, a national communications campaign will tell Australians about the NLCSP, how to access it, and about other relevant support resources (for example, support to quit smoking).
We will work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other priority populations on tailored communications and community-led activities to support participation in the NLCSP.
In the lead up to July 2025, we will provide communication materials to healthcare providers to promote awareness. This includes information materials for healthcare providers to support lung cancer screening discussions with community members.
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