Physicians are coming down hard on the Government's evidence being used to prop up their changes to bowel cancer funding. 

Last week, the Government announced it will scrap a programme lowering the screening age for Māori and Pacific people, decreasing the age to 58 for everyone instead.

Royal Australasian College of Physicians's Dr Matt Wheeler says the claim that bowel cancer risk is similar across all groups at the same age isn't true.

"The actual peak age of diagnosis is earlier in Māori than non-Māori. That was why the original screening programme had bowel screenings down to the age of 50."

LISTEN ABOVE

• ‘Where were the warning labels?’: Bowel cancer survivor on processed meat
• Bowel cancer screening eligibility age to be lowered for everyone
• ‘Will cost lives’: Outcry over Govt’s bowel screening decision