Rural access to colonscopy services is an issue which needs to be addressed, chairwoman of New Zealand Rural General Practice Network Kirsty Murrell-McMillan says.
There was a higher incidence of bowel cancer among rural people and it was important high-risk patients had access to screening colonoscopies, she said.
Men often did not get regular health checks from their doctors and so often presented later than desirable for the highest chance of long-term survival.
The way colonoscopy services were delivered needed to be changed so they were available in the community, rather than patients having to travel to major centres.
It could save thousands of dollars of patient care if cancers were found earlier, she said.
