Screening

What is Screening?

Screening is a process of identifying apparently healthy people who may be at increased risk of a disease or condition. They can then be offered information, further tests and appropriate treatment to reduce their risk and/or any complications arising from the disease or condition.

What is NHS Cambridgeshire responsible for?

NHS Cambridgeshire is responsible for commissioning and performance management of all screening programmes for its population.

What are the National Screening Programmes?

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) advises the NHS about all aspects of screening policy. It assesses the evidence for programmes against a set of internationally recognised criteria covering the condition, the test, the treatment options and the effectiveness and acceptability of the screening programme. Assessing programmes in this way is intended to ensure that they do more good than harm at a reasonable cost. For more information see http://www.screening.nhs.uk

There are a number of NSC approved systematic population screening programmes which are offered to the population of NHS Cambridgeshire. Each national screening programme is responsible for providing high quality public information which is available on the individual programme websites (see below)

Antenatal

NHS Fetal Anomaly Screening Programme, including Down’s Syndrome Screening
http://fetalanomaly.screening.nhs.uk

NHS Infectious Diseases in Pregnancy Screening Programme http://infectiousdiseases.screening.nhs.uk

NHS Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Screening Programme
http://sct.screening.nhs.uk

Newborn

NHS Newborn and Infant Physical Examination Screening Programme
http://newbornphysical.screening.nhs.uk

NHS Newborn Bloodspot Screening Programme
http://newbornbloodspot.screening.nhs.uk

NHS Newborn Hearing Screening Programme
http://hearing.screening.nhs.uk

Young Person/Adult

National Screening Programme for Diabetic Retinopathy
http://www.retinalscreening.nhs.uk/pages

NHS Breast Screening Programme
http://www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk/breastscreen/index.html

NHS Cervical Screening Programme
http://www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk/cervical

NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme
http://www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk/bowel/index.html

NHS Abdominal Aortic Aneursym Screening Programme – this programme is being gradually introduced across England from Spring 2009 and is not yet available in Cambridgeshire
http://aaa.screening.nhs.uk