Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress has been made on commissioning a cost-effectiveness evaluation to explore the clinical- and cost-effectiveness of different pathways using breast density in the screening pathway in the UK, as promised by the UK National Screening Committee.

The independent UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), which advises the Government on all screening matters, is considering the best approach for women with dense breast tissue. It reviewed the evidence relating to the provision of additional breast screening for women who have dense breast tissue and invited stakeholders’ feedback on the findings to inform future work. The consultation closed in August 2025, and the UK NSC recommended that further work is needed to understand the clinical impact and costs of adding breast density to the screening pathways in the United Kingdom.

In 2025, the UK NSC set up a working group of breast cancer screening experts to help it consider new and emerging evidence and developments that could further improve the UK breast screening programme. This is including breast density as a key issue. This work is ongoing.

Furthermore, the Breast Screening - Risk Adaptive Imaging for Density study is looking into whether supplementary imaging techniques, like magnetic resonance imaging or ultrasound, could be used for women with dense breast tissue. The UK NSC is in contact with the researchers and is reviewing the evidence as it becomes available.

If, following this work, the UK NSC makes a recommendation regarding breast density, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, would be asked to make a decision on whether to accept the recommendation, alongside wider policy and operational advice.