New Zealand health authorities are no nearer to agreeing a national bowel cancer screening programme.
When asked about a possible decision date, Ministry of Health national clinical director of cancer programmes Dr John Childs said "I honestly don't know the answer to that".
He said he could not commit to a definite time as the four-year pilot, due to begin in the Waitemata in October, had to answer some important questions.
Beat Bowel Cancer Aotearoa chairwoman Dr Sarah Derrett said the organisation would like to see a decision made about a national programme after the first round of screening in the pilot in 2014.
If the decision was not made until 2016 or later it could be another three or four years after that before a programme was introduced.
The ministry is finalising contract negotiations with those who will provide the kits for the pilot and Dr Childs said the outcome would be known within the next month.
Dr Childs again ruled out adapting the pilot, which will use immuno chemical faecal occult blood testing (iFOBT) to include flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS), a procedure which internally examines part of the large bowel.
However, the ministry was waiting for more results from randomised studies and observing what was happening in Britain where FS is being added to the existing faecal occult blood testing regime.
Dr Childs said while there needed to be significant increases in colonoscopy capacity, such testing had to be done to a consistent high quality.
"We know we will need more work force. What we don't know is what level of increase."
A careful planned approach was needed and the ministry had two clinical leaders working on it.
Questioned why advice about setting up the pilot had been sought from British bowel cancer screening director Prof Stephen Halloran, rather than someone such as University of Otago health researcher Associate Prof Brian Cox, who has experience of developing and monitoring two New Zealand cancer screening programmes, Dr Childs said Prof Cox had "certainly not been shut out".
The Otago Daily Times suggested it could appear his involvement might not have been sought because his views were contrary to those of the ministry.
Dr Childs said he had met Prof Cox, who had raised some "key and significant issues" about bowel cancer screening to which "very close attention" was paid.
Dr Childs said while Prof Cox had not been "engaged directly in this programme" he had provided much material which had been taken into account.
