Manage your participation

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.

You can provide an alternative address for correspondence related to the NCSR, which won’t change the address recorded in Medicare.

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

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

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

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

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

You can also change your preference for participating in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program and the National Cervical Screening Program for a defined period, update the date or cancel the defer at any time.

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

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

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

It's your choice to take part in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program or the National Cervical Cancer Screening Program. 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 both 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 both 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 screening test performed with your healthcare provider or use another non-program bowel screening test kit. 

Any bowel or cervical 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 either the bowel or cervical program, 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 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.

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. Depending on the type of personal representative, the participant may be required to provide supporting documentation showing the appointment.

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 request correspondence for the participant to be sent to them.

You can nominate a personal representative for the bowel or cervical program by calling us on 1800 627 701, or you can use the Participant Portal for the bowel program only.

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 for the bowel or cervical screening program.

If you wish to change your formal name as recorded with Medicare, you will need to contact Medicare directly on 132 011 or visit 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 and cervical screening 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 for the bowel or cervical screening program.
• 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.