Recommendations by the UK National Screening Committee in 2023/2024

In July 2024, the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) released an annual report from April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024. 

The UK NSC regularly reviews screening evidence for more than 100 conditions. Some examples of conditions reviewed in 2023/2024 and recommendations regarding their introduction in national population screening programs are provided below:

• Screening for neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM) is not currently recommended. NDM is a rare and severe form of diabetes, often caused by a mutation in a single gene affecting the development and function of pancreatic beta cells and the secretion of insulin. It was concluded that the volume and type of evidence are currently insufficient to justify an evidence summary, and no further work should be commissioned at the present time;
• Screening of women for vasa praevia during pregnancy is not currently recommended. Vasa praevia is a rare condition where the blood vessels from the placenta or umbilical cord block the birth canal. The following conclusions were made: it is not known how many babies are affected by vasa praevia in the UK and how accurate screening tests are at detecting vasa praevia; screening may mean some women are offered an early cesarean when they do not need one; some women may be reassured by false tests and still have a problem during delivery;
• The quadruple screening test is recommended to be added to the antenatal screening pathway for Edwards’ syndrome (Trisomy 18) for women who miss or do not complete the first trimester combined test. Edwards’ syndrome is a rare condition that occurs in 3 out of every 10,000 births;
• Digital pathology is recommended as an alternative to light microscopy to review cancer screening histopathology slides. Based on health technology assessment, the UK NSC agreed that digital pathology could represent a safe option for commissioners and providers of diagnostic pathways in bowel cancer, breast cancer, and cervical cancer screening programs.

See the full details here.

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