Background In the Dutch colorectal cancer (CRC) screening programme, individuals receive a faecal immunochemical test (FIT) to do at home. After a positive FIT result, a follow-up colonoscopy is recommended to identify CRC or advanced adenomas (AA). GPs may influence their patients’ decisions on adherence to follow-up by colonoscopy. Aim To explore GPs’ perspectives on the CRC screening programme and their potential influence on FIT-positive patients to follow up with the recommended colonoscopy. Design & setting Semi-structured interviews among GPs in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Method GPs were approached using purposive sampling. Analysis was performed on 11 interviews using open coding and constant comparison. Results All interviewed GPs would recommend FIT-positive patients without obvious contraindications to adhere to a follow-up colonoscopy. If patients were likely to be distressed by a positive FIT result, most GPs described using reassurance strategies emphasising a low cancer