General practice packs
From July 2024, we began sending cancer screening packs to general practices across Australia. Read more about the 2024 general practice packs.
Your role in encouraging cancer screening
As a healthcare provider you play an important part in the cancer screening programs.
Patients are more likely to take part in a program if a healthcare provider recommends participation. Sharing your knowledge about the screening programs with your patients:
- increases your understanding of the programs
- encourages them to participate.
Learn more about the role of healthcare providers in the:
- BreastScreen Australia Program
- National Bowel Cancer Screening Program
- National Cervical Screening Program.
The National Cancer Screening Register (NCSR)
You can access information about your patients’ participation in the National Cervical Screening and National Bowel Cancer Screening Programs through the NCSR.
Use the NCSR Healthcare Provider Portal to:
- check a patients’ bowel and cervical screening history
- lodge clinical forms relating to both programs electronically
- order patients a new bowel testing kit.
Practices using Best Practice, MedicalDirector and Communicare can now integrate their practice systems with the NCSR to view their patient’s cervical screening record directly within a patient record. All other users can access their patient’s screening records via PRODA. Visit National Cancer Screening Register website for more information.
Clinical and screening guidelines
The following evidence-based clinical and screening guidelines are available to guide your decision making and help manage cancer screening with your patients:
Stay up to date
Keep up with changes to the screening programs:
Resources
Screening program resources
Health sector resources, including guides, fact sheets, are available for:
Education and professional development resources
GP Cancer Screening Education Package. This online course provides information, resources, and tools to support GPs and their practice in their ongoing role to promote and manage patients through the 3 cancer screening programs (bowel, breast, and cervical).
It is an accredited activity under the professional development programs of the:
- Royal Australian College of General Practitioner’s (RACGP)
- Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM).
2024 general practice packs
In June 2024, the department began sending cancer screening packs to general practices across Australia. Below are links to digital copies of printed materials included in these packs.
A3 posters, one for each national cancer screening program, with reminder messaging. You are encouraged to hang these in waiting rooms and other places visible to patients. Translated versions, in over 20 languages, are available for practices to print and display.
Illustrated guides on how to participate in the programs are available, including translated copies in over 20 languages:
- Cervical screening self-collect illustrated guide
- Bowel screening illustrated guide
- Breast screening illustrated guide
Demonstration bowel cancer screening home test kits and cervical screening self-collection tubes were also included in the packs.
If you are a general practice and did not receive a pack or would like to order another, please email your practice details to cancerscreeningcommunications@health.gov.au
More cancer screening information
Learn more about the role of healthcare providers in our 3 screening programs.
