Screening is a way of finding out if people have a higher chance of having a health problem, so that early treatment can be offered or information given to help them make informed decisions.
What is screening?
Screening is a way of identifying apparently healthy people who may have an increased risk of a particular condition. The NHS offers a range of screening tests to different sections of the population.
The aim is to offer screening to the people who are most likely to benefit from it. For example, some screening tests are only offered to newborn babies, while others such as breast screening and abdominal aortic aneurysm screening are only offered to older people.
What types of screening are offered by the NHS in England?
The NHS screening programmes currently offered in England can be found on the NHS Screening website. You learn more about each screening process, as well as the benefits, risks and limitations of screening.
The following animations illustrate NHS screening for:
Female lifetime NHS screening pathway
Male lifetime NHS screening pathway
Summary of NHS screening:
- Screening in Pregnancy
- Screening for newborn babies
- Diabetic eye screening
- Cervical screening
- Breast screening
- Bowel cancer screening
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening
