This is the second blog in our series leading up to the opening of the UK National Screening Committee's open call, which will run from 1 July to 30 September 2026.
Screening is one of the most powerful, but also potentially harmful, interventions in public health. It involves offering tests to large numbers of people who feel well - most of whom will never develop the condition being screened for.
Because screening affects entire populations, the standards of evidence needed to justify it are higher than for many other healthcare interventions.
Screening must be shown to do more good than harm overall, not just for individuals who may benefit from earlier diagnosis.
That is why the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) applies clear principles of screening, detailed evidence review criteria and a structured evidence review process before recommending whether a screening programme should be introduced, changed or stopped.
UK NSC screening principles and criteria
The UK NSC uses a set of internationally recognised screening principles, reflected in its formal screening criteria. These require a well-defined population, a reliable test, and effective treatment, alongside evidence that screening provides more benefit than harm at a reasonable cost. If the criteria are met the UK NSC can recommend screening. A promising test or technology on its own is not sufficient.
Introducing screening outside of the national recommendation processes risks inconsistency, avoidable harm and loss of public trust. National standards, quality assurance, and evaluation are essential safeguards.
Why strong evidence matters in screening
Screening inevitably identifies people who would never have become ill from the condition being tested for, as well as those who may benefit from early detection (and treatment) of a condition. False positive results, overdiagnosis (the detection of a condition that would never have caused harm during a person’s lifetime), anxiety and unnecessary follow-up are all inherent features of screening.
For screening to be justified, there must be convincing evidence that:
the condition is suitable for screening the test is accurate and acceptable early intervention improves outcomes harms are minimised the whole screening pathway is deliverable and cost effective within the NHSReviewing the evidence
Evidence maps are the first step in the UK NSC’s process for reviewing screening topics. They identify what evidence exists, the volume and type of studies available, and where important gaps remain.
Where evidence maps suggest substantial new or emerging relevant evidence, the UK NSC may commission further work such as:
rapid reviews (a research method to quickly gather and summarise evidence) systematic reviews (a highly structured evidence review on a specific topic) modelling studies (the use of a computer model to test scenarios and predict outcomes)It is important to note that the UK NSC does not fund or directly commission primary research on screening topics. Instead, it assesses the existing body of evidence and, where important gaps are identified, may highlight areas where further research would help inform a future UK NSC assessment.
Keeping recommendations up to date
UK NSC recommendations are reviewed regularly and updated when new evidence becomes available. This ensures they remain aligned with current knowledge while maintaining a careful consideration of potential benefits and harms.
In our next blog article leading up to the opening of the 2026 open call for topics, we will look at the requirements for targeted screening proposals. See below for how to sign up to blog alerts.
Keep up to dateThe UK NSC blog provides up to date news from the UK NSC. You can register to receive updates direct to your inbox, so there is no need to keep checking for new articles. If you have any questions about this blog article, or about the work of the UK NSC, please email uknsc@dhsc.gov.uk.
seen at 09:50, 16 June in UK National Screening Committee.