Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including hearing screening in the NHS Health Checks programme offered to people from the ages of 40 to 74.

In May 2019, the NHS Health Check Expert Scientific and Clinical Advisory Panel (ESCAP) received a content review proposal to consider amending the NHS Health Check to include hearing loss. ESCAP members recognised the importance and impact of hearing loss as a public health issue, and it was agreed that the group would await the outcome of the United Kingdom National Screening Committee’s (UK NSC) review of evidence on hearing screening, before considering changes to the programme. The UK NSC recommendation on hearing loss screening in adults is still currently under review.

Public Health England has been commissioned to deliver an evidence-based review of the NHS Health Check programme. This externally chaired review will consider and make recommendations on future changes to the content of the NHS Health Check.