What NHS screening am I invited for, and when?
The adult screening programmes, who is invited and at what interval in England, why the age ranges differ across the UK, and the distinction between screening and testing a symptom.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 9 min
- Read
- 4 min
- Safety
- caution
Short answer
In England: cervical screening for women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 64, every 5 years. Bowel screening by home test kit for everyone aged 50 to 74, every 2 years, and on request after 75. Breast screening for women aged 50 to 70, with self-referral after 70. Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening for men at 65. Diabetic eye screening for everyone with diabetes from age 12. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own programmes with different ages and intervals.
Screening invitations arrive without warning, some of them decades apart, and a lot of people are not sure which ones they should have had. The list is short and worth knowing, and so is the one distinction that matters: screening is for people who feel well.
Safety
Step by step
- Understand what screening is for.It looks for early signs of a condition in people who have no symptoms, so that it can be treated earlier or prevented. It is offered by invitation to defined groups, and it is a population programme rather than a personal test.
- Cervical screening.In England, offered to women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 64, every 5 years, to check the health of the cells in the cervix. The interval and the testing method have changed in recent years, and the other UK nations set their own.
- Bowel cancer screening.In England, a home test kit posted to everyone aged 50 to 74 every 2 years. From 75 you can request a kit every 2 years by ringing the free bowel cancer screening helpline for England on 0800 707 6060.
- Breast screening.In England, offered to women aged 50 to 70. Women over 70 are not routinely invited but can self-refer and continue to be screened.
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening.In England, offered to men in the year they turn 65 — a single ultrasound scan looking for a swelling in the main artery from the heart. Men over 65 who have not been screened can request it.
- Diabetic eye screening.Offered from age 12 to everyone with diabetes, on an ongoing basis, to look for early diabetic retinopathy. It is a separate appointment from an ordinary eye test and it does not replace one.
- Check what applies where you live.Each UK nation runs its own screening programmes and the age ranges and intervals are not identical. Use your own nation's health service pages rather than assuming the England figures apply.
- Keep your contact details up to date with your GP practice.Screening invitations are sent from the register held against your GP registration. Moving house and not re-registering is the commonest reason people stop receiving them.
- Do not wait for a screening invitation if you have a symptom.This is the single most important point on the page. A symptom is investigated on its own merits, immediately, whatever your screening history. A normal screening result last year does not rule out a problem this year.
Tips
- Bowel screening kits get put on a shelf and forgotten. It takes a couple of minutes and it is posted back freepost — doing it the day it arrives is the whole trick.
- If you have been invited and the appointment is inconvenient, ring and rearrange rather than ignoring it. Programmes will rebook.
- Screening is an offer, not an obligation. It is reasonable to want to understand the benefits and the limitations before deciding, and the NHS publishes both.
Common mistakes
- Treating a normal screening result as a clean bill of health — Screening reduces risk; it does not eliminate it. Cancers can appear between screening rounds, and that is why symptoms are always investigated separately.
- Assuming screening stops because the invitations stop — Several programmes have an upper age at which routine invitations end but self-referral continues — breast screening after 70 and bowel screening after 75 are both like that.
- Not registering with a GP after a house move — The invitation lists follow GP registration. People miss whole screening rounds this way without ever realising.
If it doesn't work
You think you have missed an invitation
Cause: A house move, a change of name, or an out-of-date record — Fix: Contact your GP practice, which can check your screening status and arrange a catch-up for most programmes.
You are over the upper age for a programme
Cause: Routine invitations have stopped — Fix: For breast screening after 70 and bowel screening after 75 in England you can self-refer or request a kit. Ask your GP practice how it works in your nation.
A screening test has come back needing further tests
Cause: An abnormal result, which usually does not mean cancer — Fix: Most further tests after an abnormal screening result find nothing serious. Go to the appointment, take someone with you if it helps, and write your questions down beforehand.
Questions people ask
Are the age ranges the same across the UK?
No. Each nation runs its own programmes and sets its own ages and intervals, and they have changed over time. The figures here are the England ones; check your own nation's health service for yours.
Can I ask for screening earlier?
Generally not through the programme, which is age-based. But a family history, a genetic risk or a symptom are all reasons to talk to a GP about assessment outside the programme, which is a different route.
What if I do not want to be screened?
You can opt out, and you can opt back in later. It is worth reading the NHS information on the benefits and risks of the specific programme first, because they differ.
Is there screening for prostate cancer?
There is no national screening programme for it in the UK. Men over 50 can request a PSA blood test from their GP after a discussion about what the result can and cannot tell them.