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The National Screening Unit

www.moh.govt.nz/nationalscreeningunit

The National Screening Unit (NSU) provides health screening programmes in New Zealand. A separate unit of the Ministry of Health, the NSU is responsible for the safety, effectiveness and quality of health and disability screening programmes.

The NSU is currently responsible for five screening programmes:
The National Screening Unit is also responsible for introducing the quality improvement measures for antenatal screening for Down syndrome and other anomalies.

The NSU monitors the quality of screening programmes, and works with expert groups to make sure each screening programme is based on the latest evidence and meets high standards.

The NSU also advises the Government on other potential programmes.

In December 2006, the report Chlamydia Screening in New Zealand: Report for the National Screening Unit was published by the NSU. The report was prepared as a contribution towards the development of policy advice regarding screening for chlamydia in New Zealand. Currently the NSU does not run a screening programme for chlamydia.

The NSU is not currently undertaking any work on prostate cancer screening.

The core functions of the National Screening Unit include:
  • national co-ordination, leadership, and advice to government regarding screening
  • ensuring obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi are met
  • research and development including evaluation of new evidence related to screening and evidence-based appraisal of technological advances in screening
  • developing frameworks, standards and policy, and monitoring performance evaluating screening services
  • coordinating, leading and developing a screening workforce
  • administering legislation related to screening programmes
  • identifying under-screened groups and developing effective strategies to improve their participation.

For further information about the National Screening Unit, go to their website www.nsu.govt.nz
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