In supporting Australia’s National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP), the National Cancer Screening Register (NCSR) plays a crucial role in facilitating participant and healthcare provider engagement and providing comprehensive data to inform policy development and support program quality.

Launched in 2017, the Australian Government’s key objective in setting up the NCSR was to facilitate the transition from a state-based cytology test (the pap test) every two years to the NCSP’s five-yearly HPV test (the cervical screening test).

A significant data migration project saw the eight already existing state and territory cervical screening registers transferred to the NCSR, forming a single national record for each participant doing cervical screening under the NCSP.

This merge of state and territory participant data ensured full screening histories (i.e. before 2017) are available for participants. Having a national record also helps assist with appropriate testing and/or follow up if participants move between jurisdictions.

Under the NCSR Act 2016¹ the NCSR is formally called a ‘register’, however, it is more than a data source for reporting. The NCSR is a complex digital platform integrated across different healthcare systems, and is designed to support the end-to-end processes of the NCSP by:

• Facilitating digital screening related interactions by participants and healthcare providers (i.e. general practitioners, gynaecologists, colposcopists, nurses, and pathologists).
• Streamlining the process for engaging with cancer screening.
• Providing screening reminders and a safety net by following up participants with abnormal screening results, and their healthcare providers.

Generating high quality data to inform:

• Program and public health policies.
• Program quality and safety.
• Program clinical guidelines.

The NCSR houses one overarching record for each individual participating in any of the national cervical, bowel, or (from July 2025) lung cancer screening programs.

Using Medicare records, the NCSR can identify eligible people and send them:

• An invitation when they should begin screening (i.e. when they reach eligibility age).
• Invitations when due to screen.
• Reminders when overdue for screening.
• Follow-up notifications and reminders for individuals with abnormal results.

Correspondence issued to screening participants can be sent by SMS, email, and postal mail, depending on the participant’s preference.

The NCSR holds accurate and complete screening information from all pathology laboratories around Australia, as well as histopathology results from cervical biopsies.

The NCSR also records Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) data for diagnostic procedures relevant to screening including colposcopy, colonoscopy and cervical biopsies, as well as relevant treatment procedures.

When clinicians access a patient’s record in the NCSR they can view their full and complete screening history, from when they first started screening in Australia. This history is invaluable for clinical management, particularly for encouraging uptake in under-screened and never screened patients.

Colposcopists are required to submit data to the NCSR on colposcopies performed, as well as the participant’s treatment information. This treatment information is important for compiling a complete screening history and for informing further clinical management, particularly where participants have moved or have had a prior cervical abnormality, for example adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS). Documenting colposcopy and treatment information is also critical for monitoring and analysis of NCSP quality indicators, such as colposcopy wait times.

The NCSR provides digital channels to submit colposcopy forms. Digital submission is strongly encouraged as an alternative to paper/fax and can be done via the channels listed below.

How do the NCSR’s digital channels benefit healthcare providers, including colposcopists?

The NCSR offers a range of functions to allow clinicians to:

Access patient screening information: Complete and accurate screening histories can be viewed for each patient.

View alerts: Alerts aligned with Clinical Guidelines provide functions that show when a patient is due or overdue for screening. These alerts support clinicians to recognise if the patient has special circumstances, for example if they have a significant abnormality or clinical circumstance (e.g. Diethylstilbestrol [DES] exposure). There are also alerts to show that a follow-up test (for example, a test of cure following a high-grade screening abnormality) has been completed or is in progress.

View and submit forms: Including colposcopy forms for quality assurance and informing patient management.

Update patient contact and demographic details: Accurate information is important for ensuring the NCSR has the correct details for inviting, reminding and following up participants.

View NCSP-related correspondence: Stay updated with program communications and tracking patient’s screening journey.

Nominate providers and personal representatives: Assign a healthcare provider or personal representative to ensure comprehensive patient care and assist with clinic workflows.

How do I access and submit information to the NCSR?

Integration with Primary Care and Specialist Systems

The NCSR is integrated with major clinical software platforms widely used in primary care, such as Best Practice, MedicalDirector, and Communicare. It’s estimated that these systems collectively support approximately 80% of primary healthcare clinics in Australia. This integration allows healthcare providers to access real-time cervical screening information directly through their practice management software.

In May 2023, the NCSR integrated into specialist software, Gynaecology Plus, which is used by over 700 gynaecologists and colposcopy specialists across Australasia. This integration allows specialists to submit data, update patient histories, and communicate with other healthcare providers.

“Integration of our latest version of Gynaecology Plus with the NCSR marks an important step towards building effective women’s health software,” stated Malcolm Briggs, CEO of Solutions Plus.

By integrating with both primary care and specialist clinical software platforms, the NCSR can help enhance clinical safety, streamline workflows, and reduce administrative burdens – giving healthcare providers more time to focus on patient care.

The Healthcare Provider Portal: Supporting Broader Access

For healthcare providers who do not use integrated clinical software, the NCSR offers an alternative through the NCSR Healthcare Provider Portal (Portal). This secure portal, accessed via PRODA, allows providers to view patient screening data, submit clinical forms, and update demographic information.

Importantly, healthcare providers can delegate Portal access to authorised staff so they can also check patient screening histories. This can assist in streamlining workflows in colposcopy clinics and laboratories. For example, delegates can obtain a patient’s screening history prior to an antenatal clinic visit, ensuring that under screened patients are identified and offered the opportunity to screen. This is particularly beneficial for healthcare professionals who may not have a Medicare provider number, such as nurses who are trained in and perform screening.

John Lee, Head of Engagement and Communications NCSR, highlights that the Portal and software integrations are “…helping create a more efficient process for providers, meaning better outcomes for their patients.”

The introduction of these digital options has significantly reduced the need for paper-based processes. Over 91% of cervical screening histories are now accessed online, with faxed requests dropping by 94%.

How is the NCSR supporting self-collection for HPV testing?

The option to self-collect a Cervical Screening Test has emerged as a powerful tool to address inequities in screening rates and is potentially game-changing in Australia’s goal of eliminating cervical cancer by 2035.

The self-collection option provides individuals the choice to do their own test by collecting a vaginal sample using a simple swab. Self-collection offers autonomy, privacy, convenience, and a culturally sensitive alternative to a speculum examination. A pilot showed 85% of people who previously declined a doctor-collected test with a speculum were willing to take a self-collected test when it was offered.

As of June 2024, almost 34% of all cervical screening tests were done by self-collection² (a significant increase from 1% in June 2022 before the option was universally available for all screeners). Further statistics on the Program can be found at the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s National Cervical Screening Program monitoring report 2023³ and on the National Cervical Screening Program webpage⁴.

The NCSR assists healthcare providers to offer self-collection by identifying patients who are under-screened. The NCSR also sends alerts and reminders for patients who have had a self-collected test and require specific follow-up.

As the NCSR has matured, a range of functions have been added to support clinicians in providing cervical screening and improving outcomes for participants. More than 3,500 practices have integrated their clinical software with the NCSR, and more than 22,000 healthcare providers have active registrations for the Healthcare Provider Portal.

If you would like to realise the benefits of linkage to the NCSR for your practice and your patients, we encourage you to visit NCSR.gov.au/register-access or call the NCSR on 1800 627 701.