Your GP/healthcare practitioner may have referred you for lung screening if you are at higher risk of developing lung cancer. Lung screening is recommended for older adults who are long-time smokers.

Through the National Lung Cancer Screening Program, you may qualify for free screening. Your GP/healthcare practitioner will check your eligibility by asking your age and questions about your smoking history.

If you are eligible for screening, you will receive a medical imaging request for a CT scan.

To make an appointment for lung screening with Canberra Imaging Group, access our online booking request form here.

We accept all lung screening referrals, even if it is written on another radiology provider’s form.

You can book your appointment with Canberra Imaging Group online through our online booking request or contact our bookings team for assistance, 1300 788 508.

• Our team will provide any specific instructions at the time of booking, and these should be followed carefully.

• We recommend wearing a separate top and bottoms during your appointment as this makes changing for the examination easier.

• If you are pregnant or there is a possibility of you being pregnant, please let our staff know before your examination.

• Upon arrival at our imaging site, your details will be checked and eligibility confirmed for the program
• You may be asked to change into a gown for your scan to ensure clothing does not affect the quality of the scan. You may also be asked to remove any jewellery, glasses or other metal objects that could affect the image quality.
• A CT scanner is a doughnut-shaped machine with a bed passing through the middle. You will be asked to lie on the bed as still as you can. The bed will move through the scanner to take images of your lungs.
• Throughout the scan, you will be able to communicate with the radiographer performing your scan.
• You may be given breathing instructions to follow. The radiographer performing your examination will explain this to you before your scan.
• There is no contrast medium (dye injection) used for this scan.

Lung screening involves having a chest CT scan performed. It is a quick and non-invasive test that generally takes between 10 and 15 minutes to complete.

Once your scan is complete, a radiologist will review the images, and your results will be entered into the National Cancer Screening Register (NCSR). A report will be sent to your referring GP/healthcare practitioner.

Following these results, you will receive communication from the NCSR on the next steps – these will depend on what is found during screening.

Patients eligible for the National Lung Cancer Screening Program will have their chest CT scan bulk-billed. To undergo screening, you will need a referral from your GP/healthcare practitioner.

There are two Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) items available under the program for bulk-billed low-dose CT (LDCT) chest scans:

• 57410 – Initial Scan or 2 Year Re-Scan
  • For the initial scan done by the participant, and the subsequent scans, approximately every 2 years
• 57413 – Follow-up Scan – Interval or Follow-up
  • For any follow-up LDCT scans that may be required based on the results of the ‘initial’ scan/s.

Patients are eligible for the program if they *:

• are aged between 50 and 70 years
• show no signs or symptoms of lung cancer
• have a history of at least 30 pack-years of cigarette smoking and are either a current smoker or quit within the past 10 years

Patients remain eligible to continue in the program until they:

• age out (turn 71)
• become unable to undergo a low-dose CT scan (which may be temporary)
• have findings on scans that mean they will exit the program.

Patients do not have to quit smoking to participate in the program.
*For full eligibility criteria, visit: www.health.gov.au/our-work/nlcsp

A “pack-year” is a way to measure a person’s lifetime smoking exposure.
It’s calculated by multiplying the number of packs of cigarettes smoked per day by the number of years a person has smoked. One pack is 20 cigarettes
To be eligible for the NLCSP, a patient must have ? 30 pack-years cigarette smoking history.
There are online calculators available.

No. Unlike other government screening programs, the NLCSP is not based on direct invitations. Instead, healthcare providers will play a central role in identifying eligible patients. This may include:

• Reviewing and updating smoking histories in patient records.
• Setting up electronic medical record (EMR) prompts to identify potentially eligible individuals.

In addition, Canberra Imaging will promote awareness of the program to encourage self-identification. This means that patients may present to their GP already aware of the program and seeking to determine their eligibility and engage in the screening process.

No. A chronic smoker’s cough does not exclude a patient from participation.
The program is for asymptomatic individuals, but those with chronic stable cough, chronic shortness of breath, and shortness of breath on exertion are still eligible, provided these symptoms are stable and attributed to a known chronic condition (such as smoking).
If the patient does not have new or unexplained respiratory symptoms, they can still be considered asymptomatic of lung cancer and are eligible.

No. COPD does not exclude a patient from participation.
The program is for asymptomatic individuals, but those with chronic conditions are still eligible, provided these symptoms are stable and attributed to a known chronic condition (such as COPD).
If the patient does not have new or unexplained respiratory symptoms, they can still be considered asymptomatic of lung cancer and are eligible.

The NLCSP does not include individuals who vape, smoke cigars, or smoke pipes in its eligibility criteria.
Vaping alone does not qualify a patient for screening. However, a patient aged 50–70 who currently vapes may still be eligible if they also:

• currently smoke or quit smoking within the last 10 years, AND
• have a minimum 30 pack-year smoking history.

The NLCSP does not include individuals who smoke cigars, pipes, or vape in its eligibility criteria.
Smoking cigars alone does not qualify a patient for screening. However, a patient aged 50–70 who currently vapes may still be eligible if they also:

• currently smoke or quit smoking within the last 10 years, AND
• have a minimum 30 pack-year smoking history.

Patients are eligible until they turn 71. After this age, they are no longer eligible for the bulk-billed screening under the program.
However, if you believe a patient aged 71 or older would still benefit from a low-dose chest CT, Queensland X-Ray can provide this service. Please note:

• It will not attract the NLCSP rebate.
• A different MBS item number will apply.
• The report will not be submitted to the National Cancer Screening Register (NCSR); it will only be sent to the referring GP.

No. While a family history may increase overall risk, it is not part of the eligibility criteria.
The NLCSP targets individuals with a high smoking-related risk; a family history, while relevant to overall risk assessment, is not a part of the eligibility criteria.
Family history forms part of the risk assessment tool used by the radiologist as part of the reporting process.

Once a patient has been smoke-free for over 10 years, they no longer meet the eligibility criteria and exit the NLCSP.
However, if you believe they may still benefit from a low-dose chest CT, Queensland X-Ray can provide this service. Please note:

• It will not attract the NLCSP rebate.
• A different MBS item number will apply.
• The report will not be submitted to the National Cancer Screening Register (NCSR); it will only be sent to the referring GP.

No. Queensland X-Ray will accept all radiology referrals, regardless of the form used. Referrals do not need to be on the National Lung Cancer Screening Program form.
To be accepted, the referral must:

• State that the patient is eligible for the NLCSP; AND
• Specify the relevant scan/item number:
  • 57410 – Initial Scan or 2 Year Re-scan
    • For the initial scan done by the participant, and the subsequent scans, approximately every 2 years

• • 57413 – Interval or Follow-up
    • For any follow-up LDCT scans that may be required based on the results of the ‘initial’ scan/s.

Canberra imaging offers a dedicated NLCSP Referral Form for added convenience for referrers, but there is no requirement to use this form. NLCSP options have also been added to our standard referral forms/paper.
Referrals can be issued via your usual means, including:

• Practice Management Software (Best Practice, Genie, Gentu)
• Editable PDFs or pre-printed paper

Need referral forms? Visit: https://www.canberraimaging.com.au/referrers/order-referral-pads/referral-pads/nlcsp-referral/

Bookings are preferred, but walk-ins are welcome.
Patients do not need to make an appointment for their NLCSP Chest CT; however, a referral is required.
Patients can book an appointment through our online booking portal or by calling our bookings team at 1300 788 508.

Yes, reports will be uploaded to My Health Record by default. However:

• Participants can opt out of having their report uploaded.
• They may also opt out of the NCSR, in which case their information won’t be recorded, and they will not receive screening reminders.

Canberra imaging will send the LDCT report to the referring practitioner via usual channels.
Unless the patient opts out, results will also be uploaded to:

• My Health Record, and
• National Cancer Screening Register (NCSR).

Note: Patients who opt out of the NCSR won’t receive future screening reminders.

Yes, the National Cancer Screening Register (NCSR) Healthcare Provider Portal can be accessed through a PRODA account.

Follow-up care is guided by the risk category assigned to the scan outcome.
Canberra Imaging will use the national reporting template and protocol.

Access here: National Lung Cancer Screening Program – Nodule management protocol

After a patient attends Canberra Imaging:

• A Radiologist will report the scan using the national template.
• The report will be sent to both the referring practitioner and the NCSR (unless the patient opts out).
• The referring practitioner is responsible for:
  • Communicating results to the patient
  • Coordinating follow-up care, including any actionable findings

Follow-up care recommendations are based on the risk category (see above), with potential referral to specialists for higher-risk findings.
The NCSR will send reminders to patients to return for follow-up screening.

Patients may request an early follow-up scan, but if it occurs outside the recommended interval, it is considered outside the program. That means:

• No NLCSP rebate applies
• A different MBS item number is used
• The scan result is sent to the referring GP only, and not to the NCSR

The Lung Foundation Australia, in partnership with The Daffodil Centre, has developed free CPD-accredited training and educational resources to support the launch of the National Lung Cancer Screening Program (NLCSP) starting 1 July 2025. The training provider is Lung Foundation Australia on behalf of the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.

The eLearning course is tailored for GPs and primary care teams and provides practical guidance on identifying eligible patients, navigating the screening process, and understanding the importance of early detection.

For more information about the NLCSP eLearning course visit: https://lungfoundation.com.au/health-professionals/training-and-events/national-lung-cancer-screening-program-health-workforce-education/

Reports will be made available in the same timeframe as a normal radiology report and will be accessible through ordinary channels.

Yes – provided the nodule is not being actively managed.