Screening

National screening programmes identify apparently healthy people who may have an undiagnosed disease, enabling earlier treatment and better-informed decisions.

There are three national adult screening programmes for cancer (breast, bowel and cervical), and two for cardiovascular disease (diabetic eye screening and abdominal aortic aneurysm; AAA).

Local services

The NHS offers National Screening Programmes that are delivered locally. Find out more information here. There are also NHS videos detailing the female lifetime screening pathway and the male lifetime screening pathway.

Screening is an essential area of Public Health

  • NHS cancer screening programmes can help to diagnose cancer or risk of cancer earlier and improve the likelihood of successful treatment.
  • Both breast cancer screening and cervical cancer screening programmes detect a third of respective cancers among women.
  • Bowel cancer screening detects the disease in its early stages, and has diagnosed over 10 percent of bowel cancer cases.
  • People living with diabetes are at risk of sight loss and blindness. Annual diabetic eye screening (DES) is recommended for everyone with diabetes aged 12 and over, to identify the risk of sight loss from diabetes.
  • Abdominal aortic aneurysm or AAA (triple A) is a bulge or swelling in the aorta which is the main blood vessel that runs from the heart to the abdomen. If AAA is left to get bigger, it could burst and cause life-threatening internal bleeding. Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening aims to reduce AAA related mortality among men aged 65 to 74.

Screening is an area of Public Health focus in Havering

Key facts

  • 17,141 people are recorded as having diabetes in Havering in 2022/23, and they all have a risk of blindness due to diabetes.
    • Diabetic eye screening (DES) uptake in 2022/23 in NEL ICB was 74.6 percent which was lower than London (78.3 percent) and England (79.1 percent) averages.
  • Havering has a higher proportion of older people (17.6 percent compared to 12.2 percent in London) who are at higher risk of abdominal aortic aneurysm.
    • AAA screening coverage among men aged 65-74 years in Havering in 2022/23 was 85.6 percent (1,178 patients), higher than both London (75.1 percent) and England (78.3 percent) averages.
  • In Havering, cancers are the number one cause of difference in life expectancy due to inequality among women.
    • Cervical screening coverage for women aged 25 to 49 in Havering was one of the highest in London in 2023 with 70.2 percent coverage (35,369 women in 3 years).
    • Havering’s coverage for breast cancer in 2023 was 73.7 percent (21,092 women).
    • There has been a drop in breast cancer screening coverage since the COVID-19 pandemic but this is now on an upward trend.
  • Under-75 mortality rate for colorectal cancer in Havering over the same period (12.1/100,000) was higher than both London (10.5/100,000) and England (11.9/100,000) averages.
    • It is crucial for Havering to achieve and maintain bowel screening coverage significantly above the national target of 60 percent.

What we do in Havering

Key initiatives

  • North East London Cancer Alliance and Havering Place Cancer Leadership group are working together to reduce health inequalities related to cancer.
  • Public Health will support awareness campaigns focusing on the cancers with poor outcomes and further improving cancer screening coverage.
  • The Place Long Term Conditions Group is also working to improve diabetes care and cardiovascular outcomes, which will include DES and AAA screening.

How you can make a change

Members of the public can:

  • participate in screening programmes when invited, and encourage friends and family to take part when they are invited.
  • speak to a health professional if you're unsure about the information in your invitation.
  • maintain a healthy diet and stay physically active. Avoid smoking and limit alcohol intake to safe levels.

Professionals working in the area can:

  • share clear, accessible information about the importance of screening, especially in communities with low uptake.
  • encourage eligible patients to respond to screening invitations and explain what to expect from the process.
  • help identify and reduce barriers such as language, stigma, fear, or misinformation through culturally sensitive communication.
  • encourage staff within GP practices and clinics to prioritise conversations about screening during consultations.
  • partner with community groups to extend the reach of screening messages.