Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance her Department issues to GPs and health visitors on recognising the symptoms of lead exposure in children and when to refer for testing.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), which advises ministers on screening matters, made a recommendation not to screen children for lead poisoning in 2018. This is because the number of children affected in the United Kingdom is currently not known, the test was not reliable enough, and treatments in children with mild symptoms have not been proven and may also be harmful.

The UK NSC plans to look at the evidence again, however a timetable for review has not yet been confirmed. The UK Health Security Agency guidance on lead poisoning for healthcare professionals can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/lead-poisoning-advice-for-the-public-and-healthcare-professionals