Son says mum died after bowel cancer follow-up stopped at 74

Wednesday, 8 July 2026

Sally Everitt was working until six months before her death in June.

A Canterbury man says his mother died from recurrent bowel cancer after she was denied follow-up screening because of her age.

Sally Everitt, who survived bowel cancer in 2013, died on June 22 after a rapid four-month decline.

Her son, Simeon Everitt, said his mother's specialist recommended two-yearly follow-up colonoscopies after her surgery, but she received a letter from the then Canterbury District Health Board in 2014 saying that because she was over 74, she would no longer receive them.

Simeon Everitt says his mother was denied follow-up bowel cancer surveillance because of her age after surviving bowel cancer in 2013.

The letter said most bowel cancer patients do not develop a second cancer, the risk of dying from a second bowel cancer after age 75 was lower than the risk of dying from another cause, colonoscopy carried greater risks for older patients, and the hospital was operating in a “resource constrained environment”. It advised her to see her GP if she developed symptoms.

“This was 2014 and they’ve had 12 years to fix the problem of colonoscopy waits, and it's only getting worse,” Simeon Everitt said.

He said his mother, who was 88, had remained in good health and worked until late last year.

Simeon and his mother Sally Everitt, a longtime business broker who had survived bowel cancer in 2013.

“Mum was planning to work to 94 to be the oldest business broker in New Zealand, and planning to live to 110. She was very young and active for her age and a lot of people thought she was much younger. Her and I both feel her retirement was stolen from her.”

Earlier this year she became unwell and was admitted to hospital, where a doctor noticed she had not received follow-up surveillance since 2014. Scans confirmed her bowel cancer had returned.

Sally Everitt worked in real estate in Hanmer Springs during her long career.

She was told immunotherapy offered the best treatment option, but delays for investigations and specialist appointments meant she chose to pay $25,000 for private treatment.

“She posted on Facebook about it, and in her usual positive style told everyone how she was going to stay strong and beat it and live until 110.”

Before treatment could begin, her condition deteriorated rapidly.

Sally Everitt and her son Simeon who lives in China but stayed in New Zealand when his mother became unwell this year.

“She sounded totally defeated, and I was absolutely shocked, as up until then Mum had been always very strong and willing to fight to the end for anything.”

She moved into a rest home and died 11 days later.

“We’ve been extremely angry and stressed out by the entire experience, and I am utterly disgusted at what the New Zealand health system has become. I am distraught by not only having lost my mother, but also one of my best friends.

Simeon Everitt believes his mother was failed by the health system after her bowel cancer returned 12 years after follow-up surveillance ended.

“While she is now at peace, I really wish that her last few months on this earth were more dignified ones. She deserved better; all Kiwis deserve better.”

Christchurch colorectal surgeon and Bowel Cancer New Zealand medical adviser Professor Frank Frizelle said Government funding limited follow-up colonoscopies to age 75.

“There are limited resources and it's the Government's call.”

However, he said people were living longer and healthier lives than they were even 12 years ago, making follow-up for carefully selected patients into their mid-80s “not unreasonable”.

“There should be follow-up scans for people who are well and living longer, but that is not in the funding allocation at the present time.”

On June 29, Health Minister Simeon Brown announced that a home test rolling out nationwide would mean more Kiwis could get faster assessment of bowel symptoms, while also helping free up specialist capacity needed to safely bring down the bowel screening age.

Health NZ said it could not respond to specific questions about Sally Everitt’s care before The Press’ deadline but executive national director clinical Richard Sullivan said he extended sincere condolences to her friends and family.

“We are very sorry for the distress caused by the letter and the way it communicated bowel cancer surveillance options available at the time. However, our treatment pathways have significantly changed since it was sent in 2014.”

He said treatment pathways had changed significantly since 2014 and national surveillance guidelines, updated in 2023, no longer included a specific age cut-off for surveillance.