For screening participants

We obtain your primary address from Medicare. If you wish to change your primary address details as recorded with Medicare, you will need to contact Medicare directly on 132 011 or visit www.servicesaustralia.gov.au.

If you would like to provide an alternative address for correspondence related to the National Cancer Screening Register, please use the Participant Portal or call us on 1800 627 701, and a member of the Contact Centre will help you.

You can choose to be notified by SMS or email when you have a new message in the Participant Portal.

To do this, log in to the Participant Portal and select the 'Communication Preference' tile.

You can request to change (defer) the date of your next screening, perhaps because of travel or health reasons.

You can also delay a future screening date and reminders for the bowel, cervical or lung cancer screening program for a defined period, update the date or cancel the defer at any time.

You can do this using the Participant Portal, submitting a webform, or by calling us on 1800 627 701.

For cervical screening, you can recommence screening by booking a test at any time through your healthcare provider.

It's your choice to take part in cancer screening. It’s also your choice to have your details recorded in the NCSR. You can opt out of the screening programs at any time.

Opting out of one or all of the screening programs means that we will not contact you and you will not receive any invitations or reminders to screen from the NCSR. 

Once you choose to opt out of one or more of the screening programs, we will not accept or record any of your future screening test results or details of any related tests and diagnoses. We will also not carry out any follow-up activities.

Even if you opt out, you can still have a cervical or lung cancer screening test or use another non-program bowel screening test kit. 

Any cancer screening tests you do outside of the programs will not be recorded in the NCSR.

You can choose to opt back in at any time, but your screening history in the NCSR may be incomplete or incorrect. This is because we will not collect your information for the period you have opted out.

If you are acting on behalf of an individual and wish to opt them out, call the Contact Centre on 1800 627 701.

If you would like to opt yourself out of the bowel, cervical or lung cancer screening programs, you can do this using the Participant Portal, submitting a webform, or by calling us on 1800 627 701.

If you previously opted out of screening through the NCSR, you can choose to resume participation at any time by using the Participant Portal or completing the resume participation webform.

You can also request your healthcare provider to opt you back in or call the Contact Centre on 1800 627 701.

• Eligible people aged 45 to 49 can request their first free kit by submitting a webform, calling 1800 627 701, or asking their doctor about getting a kit
• Eligible people aged 50 to 74 will continue to receive a bowel cancer screening kit in the mail every 2 years

If you have lost or misplaced your bowel screening home test kit, or if it is damaged or expired, you can request another kit using the Participant Portal, submitting a webform, or calling 1800 627 701.

You can also request a replacement participant details form or download and print the form.

When you nominate a healthcare provider, the provider you nominate and the healthcare provider who took your screening test will receive relevant correspondence relating to your screening tests.

This helps make sure your nominated healthcare provider is informed about your screening and can make informed decisions about your health.

You can nominate a healthcare provider by using the Participant Portal, submitting a webform, or by calling us on 1800 627 701.

You may choose to cease correspondence indefinitely or for a defined period.

This means we will continue to collect your screening test results and other screening information, but you will not receive any contact or reminders from us.

Your healthcare provider will still be able to access your screening information and will receive follow-up contact if required. 

You can request to cease correspondence by using the Participant Portal, submitting a webform, or by calling us on 1800 627 701.

You may nominate a personal representative to act on your behalf, or you may already be authorised to act on behalf of a participant and wish to interact with us on their behalf.

A personal representative may be a family member, friend, medical practitioner, carer, guardian, or a person acting as power of attorney or under a health directive. Persons being nominated as personal representatives may also need to provide supporting documentation

Once appointed, personal representatives can act on behalf of a participant and access information about the person they represent (including health information), such as calling the Contact Centre, and requesting correspondence for the participant to be sent to them.

You can nominate a personal representative by submitting a webform, calling us on 1800 627 701, or you can use the Participant Portal for the bowel and lung cancer screening programs.

You may wish to nominate a preferred or alternate name (a name that you use regularly, such as a nickname or shortened version of your name) to be used for all contact, including letters and notifications, through the NCSR.

If you wish to change your formal name as recorded with Medicare, you will need to contact Medicare directly on 132 011 or visit www.servicesaustralia.gov.au.

You can nominate a preferred or alternate name by using the Participant Portal, submitting a webform, or by calling us on 1800 627 701.

You may wish to have a pseudonym, which is an alias or a fictitious name assumed for a particular purpose (for example, to protect your privacy), held in the NCSR to be used for bowel, cervical and lung cancer screening program letters and other correspondence. If you request to use a pseudonym:

• We will use your pseudonym in place of your legal name for all letters, notifications and contact made through the NCSR
• Your healthcare providers and pathology laboratories will be restricted from viewing your screening record online, however they will be able to access your screening information when they call the NCSR Contact Centre
• We will use your pseudonym for all correspondence sent to your healthcare provider – you may choose to disclose your pseudonym details to your healthcare provider

If you wish to change your legal name as recorded with Medicare, you will need to contact Medicare directly on 132 011 or visit www.servicesaustralia.gov.au.

You can nominate a pseudonym (or withdraw a previously requested pseudonym) by submitting a webform or by calling us on 1800 627 701.