Bowel cancer screening
Adult

Endoscopy

Useful Management Information

  • Perform FOBT test annually from age 50
  • NHMRC Clinical Practice Guidelines (2011)
  • Bowel cancer screening should occur for asymptomatic patients between the ages of 45-75 years with a positive FOBT. If patient is symptomatic please refer under the condition that best applies to their symptoms. 

NB: If a patient has been fully investigated 2 years prior to referral, then the referrer and the receiving clinician will need to exercise clinical decision making in triaging and/or value in repeat endoscopy/colonoscopy procedures.

Minimum Referral Criteria

Does your patient meet the minimum referral criteria?
Category 1 (appointment within 30 calendar days)
  • iFOBT positive in patients > 50 – 74 years old
Category 2 (appointment within 90 calendar days)
  • No category 2 criteria
Category 3 (appointment within 365 calendar days)
  • A family history of colorectal cancer (CRC) in patients with one first degree relative ≤ 55 years, or two first or second-degree relatives (on the same side of the family) diagnosed with CRC at any age
  • Multiple bowel cancers
  • Consider other treatment pathways or an alternative diagnosis
  • If the patient does not meet the criteria for referral but the referring practitioner believes the patient requires specialist review, a clinical override may be requested:
    • Please explain why (e.g. warning signs or symptoms, clinical modifiers, uncertain about diagnosis, etc.)
  • Please note that your referral may not be accepted or may be redirected to another service.

Essential Referral Information

  • Patient and family history of bowel cancer
  • U&E
  • Previous endoscopic procedures (date, report and histology)

For NBCSP patients please refer to National Bowel Cancer Screening Program page

If a specific test result is unable to be obtained due to access, financial, religious, cultural or consent reasons a Clinical Override may be requested. This reason must be clearly articulated in the body of the referral.

Additional Referral Information

  • No additional referral information
Last updated 14 September 2021

Send Referrals To

Smart Referrals

Preferred Method
About Smart Referrals

Secure Web Transfer

Send to: Gold Coast Health Service District

Internal Referrals

Not available

Fax

(07) 5687 4497

Post

Booking and Referral Centre
Gold Coast University Hospital
1 Hospital Boulevard
Southport QLD 4215

Enquiries

1300 559 083

Related HealthPathways

No directly related pathways found

Service Availability

Dr Sneha John
Medical Director Endoscopy

Facilities

Gold Coast University Hospital

If you would like to send a named referral, please address it to the specialist listed above, who will allocate a suitably qualified specialist to see the patient. Alternatively, you can view a full list of our specialists.

Gold Coast Health - For Clinicians
© The State of Queensland 1995-2021 | Queensland Government
Queensland Government acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land and pays respect to Elders past, present and future.