What is the role of the National Cancer Screening Register?

The National Cancer Screening Register (NCSR) supports the operations of the National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP) by providing a secure, confidential database of screening records.

The NCSR invites women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 74 to have a Cervical Screening Test when they are due. 

In 2017, the NCSR replaced the previous Pap test registers within states and territories, providing one national database of records for cervical screening.

The NCSR also supports the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program. This means that each person who participates in both cervical and bowel cancer screening will have a single record.

What information is collected by the NCSR?

The NCSR collects the results of your Cervical Screening Test and the results of any follow-up tests or investigations after your screening. 

The information collected includes:

• your name, address and date of birth;
• details of the health practitioner who performed your test;
• the date of the test and the name of the laboratory that processed it, and;
• the results of the test.

It's important to keep your details up to date so the NCSR can remind you when you are due for your Cervical Screening Test.

Are my details kept confidential?

Yes, your information will always be kept confidential.

Information collected by the NCSR is protected by legislation. Its main purpose is to help people participate in cervical and bowel screening when they are due.

The NCSR will ensure your information is only disclosed to you or:

• Your health professional.
• The laboratory that processed your test.

The national and state programs monitor participation and outcomes from screening. However, these programs only look at data at a population level, which means that no individuals can be identified.

Sometimes, researchers may request information for research projects. Any data provided to them does not identify individuals and is only given when the researcher has formal ethics approval. There are strict rules about how to use the data. 

This is in accordance with the National Cancer Screening Register Act 2016.