Health screening programmes 'not meeting targets'

A new report from the National Audit Office has found that the health screening programmes in England for bowel, breast or cervical cancer did not meet their targets last year.

Although the bowel screening programme nearly achieved the target with coverage of 59.6 per cent against a standard target of 60 per cent, the Department of Health and Social Care also set a ‘lower threshold’ target last year, which all, except for the cervical programme, met.

Many women also experienced delays getting their results after having smear tests, or cervical screening, with the report finding that the proportion of eligible adults receiving health screening is inconsistent across different areas in England and that services are not operating to the ‘agreed standards’.

For example, in 2017-18, of those eligible for bowel screening, 60 per cent were screened nationally, but in eight Clinical Commissioning Groups screening providers screened 30 per cent - 44 per cent of eligible people. The NAO’s analysis shows that levels of coverage across the four screening programmes are inconsistent, with much of the lowest performance in London.

The report also describes issues with complex, ageing IT systems, with the cervical screening programme relying on an estimated 350 different systems to make it work. Complicated IT problems are reported to have resulted in 5,000 women not being invited for breast screening.

Rebecca Fisher, GP and Health Foundation policy fellow, said: “England currently offers screening for breast, cervical and bowel cancers. Although the overall proportion of cancers detected through screening is relatively low – six per cent of all cancer diagnoses follow screening – by detecting pre-cancerous changes, or early stage cancers, screening saves lives. For example, evidence suggests that screening currently prevents 70 per cent of cervical cancer deaths; this could increase to 83 per cent if everyone who is eligible attended.

“The public should be encouraged to attend screening, but they must be able to trust the quality of the services they are being offered. Today’s report highlights an urgent need for investment in the IT and equipment required to make improvements. Policymakers must also consider how to most efficiently run screening programmes to ensure that these potentially life-saving services are equally available right across the country.”