Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what are the age limits on each of the NHS screening programmes and the justification for each limit.

All National screening programmes are introduced based on recommendations made by the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC). The UK NSC assesses and evaluates the evidence to offer screening when it will offer more good than harm. Screening age ranges are selected based on the range where the evidence supports that balance.

The National Health Service breast screening programme invites eligible women to be screened every three years from the age of 50 up to their 71st birthday.

The NHS bowel screening programme invited men and women every two years from ages 60 to 74 years old. The programme is expanding to make it available to everyone aged 50 to 59 years old. This is happening gradually over four years and started in April 2021.

The NHS cervical screening programme invites people with a cervix between the ages of 25 and 49 for screening every three years, whilst people aged 50 to 64 receive an invitation every five years.

The NHS abdominal aortic aneurysm screening programme offers men a screening the year they turn 65.

The NHS diabetic eye screening programme is offered to anyone with diabetes who is 12 years old or over. Those eligible are invited for an annual screening.

The NHS targeted lung cancer screening programme that has been recently announced will invite people aged 55 to 74 identified as being at high risk of lung cancer for screening.

For antenatal screening programmes, pregnant women are invited early for screening once the pregnancy has been confirmed. This includes the NHS foetal anomaly screening programme and NHS infectious diseases in pregnancy.

Screening for newborns is also offered early at a time when conditions can be detected and where early treatment can improve the baby’s health and prevent severe disability or even death. Newborn screening programmes include the NHS newborn blood spot screening programme, the NHS newborn hearing screening programme, the NHS newborn and infant physical examination screening programme and the NHS sickle cell and thalassaemia screening programme.