GPEx is proud to announce its appointment by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care to lead the development of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) Healthcare Provider Learning Package.

The NBCSP offers eligible Australians aged 45 to 74 a free at-home test every two years, which can find the early signs of bowel cancer. Early detection can significantly increase survival rates: more than 90% of cases can be successfully treated if found early. Despite this, only 40% of eligible Australians currently participate in the program.

Healthcare providers are highly influential when it comes to encouraging patients to screen for bowel cancer, with their ability to educate, endorse screening, and help overcome known barriers.

The GPEx-led learning package will provide healthcare professionals – including GPs, nurses, tertiary sector professionals, pharmacists, allied health workers and non-clinical staff such as practice managers – with the tools and education needed to encourage patients to participate in bowel cancer screening.

“By involving healthcare professionals in developing the initiative, we’re ensuring the interventions are practical, actionable, and relevant. Our goal is to create strategies that link intention with action, making it easier for clinicians to engage their patients in screening,” said Sally Jones, CEO of GPEx.

The GPEx learning package will offer practical, actionable activities that healthcare professionals can easily integrate into their workflow. The learning package will include CPD modules, resources and a toolkit for healthcare professionals across different roles and sectors. This work will be developed with sector professionals through the Education and Engagement Advisory Group and chaired by an independent GP with an interest in cancer screening.

GPEx is seeking expressions of interest from healthcare professionals to join the NBCSP Education and Engagement Advisory Group to provide strategic guidance to inform this package and delivery to the target audiences.

If you are passionate about improving health outcomes and want to contribute to this important initiative, or you would like to register to be notified about the launch of the learning package, please complete an online expression of interest.

GPEx is partnering with Flinders University and the Flinders Bowel Health Service to co-design and implement a robust evaluation program. Professor Billie Bonevski, Dean of Research and Director of the Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, and Associate Professor Erin Symonds will lead this work which will inform the learning package elements and education interventions.

About the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program

The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program is a national, population-level screening program aimed at reducing deaths from bowel cancer. The free test is easy to do at home and saves lives by detecting the early signs of cancer. People aged 45 to 74 are eligible to receive a screening test kit every two years, with kits provided either through the mail or directly from a primary healthcare provider.

Contact:
Kimberley Hoile
Communications Specialist
kimberley.hoile@gpex.com.au