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Health screening and testing

Throughout your life you will undergo various health checks, which fall into two categories: screening and testing.

If a health check falls into the screening category, that means that the UK National Screening Committee (NSC), a group of screening health experts, has advised that screening for a particular condition is recommended and can be applied to the whole UK population (or a special section of that population, such as all those with diabetes).

The NSC uses rigorous scientific methods and evidence to decide which conditions will be addressed by a national screening programme. If you're offered a screening test you know that the check you'll undergo will give you an accurate indicator of your risk.

This will help to catch and treat serious conditions sooner and save more lives. It also means that if you have a problem identified you'll be guided through the process of diagnosis and treatment.

The other category of health checks is tests. These aren’t automatically offered to the entire population because they may only apply if you have a certain condition, are at risk from one or display specific symptoms. Typically these are offered by your GP or pharmacist. Examples of this type of check are cholesterol and blood pressure tests.

Screening

There are numerous major national screening programmes available in England which save thousands of lives a year and improve the quality of life for those affected. The NHS Breast Screening Programme alone, for example, saves 1,400 lives a year in England.

If you’re registered with a GP, you'll automatically receive invitations for relevant screening tests throughout your life. You don’t have to take up these invitations, but it’s strongly advised that you do. All screening tests are scientifically proven to be effective and could mean that a serious condition is spotted early, when it may be easier to treat. They include:

  • Antenatal screening for pregnant women, including examinations for Down’s syndrome, foetal abnormality, sickle cell, thalasseaemia and some infectious diseases.
  • Newborn screening for the detection of hearing impairments, cystic fibrosis, congenital hypothyroidism, phenylketonuria, medium chain acyl CoA dehydrogenase deficiency and sickle cell.
  • Childhood screening: checks for height, weight, vision and hearing, all grouped under what is known as the school entry health check.
  • Diabetic retinopathy screening for all people with diabetes aged 12 and over.
  • Cervical cancer screening for all women aged 25 and over.
  • Breast cancer screening for all women aged 50 and over.
  • Bowel cancer screening for all men and women aged 60 and over.

Testing

In addition to national screening programmes that apply to the whole population, there are a wide range of medical tests that your GP or consultant may recommend.

We all encounter the most common of these tests. When you register with a new GP, for example, your blood pressure is tested as part of the New Patient Health Check. In addition, a urine sample will be taken to confirm good kidney function and to check for evidence of diabetes. Other common tests include:

  • Height and weight.
  • Blood test to check cholesterol level.
  • Urine tests to check good kidney function.
  • Blood glucose test for diabetes.
  • Peak flow lung function tests.
  • Allergy tests.
  • DEXA bone scans for osteoporosis.

Other tests

As well as the screens and tests available through the NHS, there are commercial health checks that are designed to tell you more about your health and wellbeing. These range from fitness checks to tests of your mental agility.

Some commercial tests are worthwhile, but many are not based on firm scientific evidence and don’t provide accurate results that you can trust. There are others that are cynical scams designed to take money from you. Read Commercial tests for more information.

Ask your GP for advice before taking any test that you're unsure about.

Reproduced under the terms of Click-Use Licence number C2009000382. The content of this page has been published under a Click-Use Licence (link this to http://www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/index) which covers the use of core Crown copyright information. The original material can be found on NHS Choices.