Bowel cancer screening program in the Budget

Tuesday’s Federal Budget delivered much-needed funds to extend the bowel cancer screening program, which was warmly welcomed by the Independent Member for New England, Tony Windsor.
In March, Mr Windsor joined Cancer Council CEO, Professor Ian Olver, and fellow Independent MPs Rob Oakeshott and Andrew Wilkie, at Parliament House in Canberra to further campaign for the 2012 Federal Budget to include funding to extend the bowel cancer screening program.
Mr Windsor is delighted the Federal Government has responded favourably to the campaign.
“Ian Olver, Paul Grogan and the Cancer Council team have worked very hard over a number of years to bring about this result.
“I congratulate them on their now successful campaign and thank them for their untiring efforts.
“I also recognise and congratulate the National Bowel Cancer Coalition for their campaigns and Tamworth retired doctor Les Rae, a former board member of NBCC, who first drew the dire need for expanding the screening to my attention and encouraged me to pursue wherever I could the extension of the scheme.
“Les, the National Bowel Cancer Coalition and the Cancer Council pointed out that bowel cancer kills around 4000 Australians a year – more people than any other cancer except lung cancer.
“They showed me that up to a third of these deaths could be prevented by extending the bowel cancer screening program.
“So I’m delighted the Federal Government is acting to save lives, despite the pressure to deliver a Budget surplus,” Mr Windsor said.
Bowel cancer screening is provided free to people aged 50, 55 and 65.
This year’s Federal Budget delivered an extra $49.7 million to extend bowel cancer screening to Australians turning 60 from next year, and 70 from 2015.
The program will then be progressively extended from 2017-18 to deliver free biennial screening.
Mr Windsor says the extra funding is great value for money.
“Every year, Australia spends around $1 billion treating bowel cancer.
“While you can’t put a dollar value on saving lives, identifying bowel cancer early will also save on treatment costs.
“I’d like to congratulate the Federal Government for making the bowel cancer screening program a priority in this year’s Budget,” he said.