Lakes District Health Board will join the National Bowel Screening Programme in February next year with Whanganui and Mid Central to join in late 2019 as part of a revised schedule for the national program, the first cancer screening program offered to both men and women.

The NBSP has been delayed in some DHBs due to the time it has taken to develop a new IT system, with the interim system first developed by Waitemata DHB being used by the seven DHBs that are now providing the free program to eligible 60- to 74-year-old people.