A group of doctors is urging the Government to lower the bowel cancer screening age for Maori

The screening programme currently being rolled out is free for people aged 60 to 74.

But Royal Australasian College of Surgeons indigenous health committee chair Dr Maxine Ronald says it should be dropped to age 50 for Maori.

She says Maori have a higher incidence of bowel cancer in the 50 to 59 age bracket.

Ronald says the current programme means there'll be Maori with bowel cancer that'll be missed.