Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress has been made on commissioning a cost-effectiveness evaluation to explore the clinical- and cost-effectiveness of different pathways using breast density in the screening pathway in the UK, as promised by the UK National Screening Committee.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson

The independent UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), which advises the Government on all screening matters, is considering the best approach for women with dense breast tissue. It reviewed the evidence relating to the provision of additional breast screening for women who have dense breast tissue and invited stakeholders’ feedback on the findings to inform future work. The consultation closed in August 2025, and the UK NSC recommended that further work is needed to understand the clinical impact and costs of adding breast density to the screening pathways in the United Kingdom.

In 2025, the UK NSC set up a working group of breast cancer screening experts to help it consider new and emerging evidence and developments that could further improve the UK breast screening programme. This is including breast density as a key issue. This work is ongoing.

Furthermore, the Breast Screening - Risk Adaptive Imaging for Density study is looking into whether supplementary imaging techniques, like magnetic resonance imaging or ultrasound, could be used for women with dense breast tissue. The UK NSC is in contact with the researchers and is reviewing the evidence as it becomes available.

If, following this work, the UK NSC makes a recommendation regarding breast density, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, would be asked to make a decision on whether to accept the recommendation, alongside wider policy and operational advice.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the UK National Screening Committee's commissioned work on the clinical- and cost-effectiveness of additional screening for individuals with dense breasts is due to report publicly, and when they expect to make a recommendation on additional screening for women with dense breasts.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson

The independent UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), which advises the Government on all screening matters, is considering the best approach for women with dense breast tissue. It reviewed the evidence relating to the provision of additional breast screening for women who have dense breast tissue and invited stakeholders’ feedback on the findings to inform future work. The consultation closed in August 2025, and the UK NSC recommended that further work is needed to understand the clinical impact and costs of adding breast density to the screening pathways in the United Kingdom.

In 2025, the UK NSC set up a working group of breast cancer screening experts to help it consider new and emerging evidence and developments that could further improve the UK breast screening programme. This is including breast density as a key issue. This work is ongoing.

Furthermore, the Breast Screening - Risk Adaptive Imaging for Density study is looking into whether supplementary imaging techniques, like magnetic resonance imaging or ultrasound, could be used for women with dense breast tissue. The UK NSC is in contact with the researchers and is reviewing the evidence as it becomes available.

If, following this work, the UK NSC makes a recommendation regarding breast density, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, would be asked to make a decision on whether to accept the recommendation, alongside wider policy and operational advice.

Found: Members present: Nick Smith (in the Chair) Alex Barros-Curtis Bob Blackman Bambos Charalambous

Found: Members present: Nick Smith (in the Chair) Alex Barros-Curtis Bob Blackman Bambos Charalambous

Found: 8 Members present: Nick Smith (in the Chair) Alex Barros-Curtis Bob Blackman Bambos Charalambous

Found: Glindon Carolyn Harris Navendu Mishra Tessa Munt Kirsteen Sullivan Apologies: Bambos Charalambous

Found: 10.00am in the Committee Room 16 [ND41] Members present: Nick Smith (in the Chair) Bambos Charalambous

Found: Members present: Nick Smith (in the Chair) Alex Barros-Curtis Bob Blackman Bambos Charalambous

Found: Room 6 [ND40] Members present: Bob Blackman (in the Chair) Alex Barros-Curtis Bambos Charalambous

Found: Members present: Nick Smith (in the Chair) Alex Barros-Curtis Bob Blackman Bambos Charalambous

Found: Committee Room 5 [ND37] Members present: Nick Smith (in the Chair) Bob Blackman Bambos Charalambous

Found: Members present: Nick Smith (in the Chair) Alex Barros-Curtis Bob Blackman Bambos Charalambous

Found: Room 4a [ND39] Members present: Nick Smith Alex Barros-Curtis Bob Blackman Bambos Charalambous

Found: Goldman Mary Glindon Tessa Munt Kirsteen Sullivan Apologies: Alex Barros-Curtis, Bambos Charalambous

Found: Members present: Nick Smith (in the Chair) Alex Barros-Curtis Bob Blackman Bambos Charalambous

Found: Barros-Curtis Bob Blackman Carolyn Harris Mary Glindon Tessa Munt Apologies: Bambos Charalambous

Found: Members present: Nick Smith (in the Chair) Alex Barros-Curtis Bob Blackman Bambos Charalambous

Found: 10.00am in the Committee Room 16 [ND33] Members present: Nick Smith (in the Chair) Bambos Charalambous

Found: Members present: Nick Smith (in the Chair) Alex Barros-Curtis Bob Blackman Bambos Charalambous

Found: Members present: Nick Smith (in the Chair) Alex Barros-Curtis Bob Blackman Bambos Charalambous

Found: Members present: Nick Smith (in the Chair) Alex Barros-Curtis Bob Blackman Bambos Charalambous

Found: present: Nick Smith (in the Chair) Alex Barros-Curtis Bob Blackman Apologies: Bambos Charalambous

Found: Members present: Nick Smith (in the Chair) Bob Blackman Alex Barros-Curtis Bambos Charalambous

Found: Members present: Nick Smith (in the Chair) Bob Blackman Alex Barros-Curtis Bambos Charalambous

Found: Glindon Carolyn Harris Navendu Mishra Tessa Munt, Kirsteen Sullivan Apologies: Bambos Charalambous

Found: Members present: Nick Smith (in the Chair) Bob Blackman Alex Barros-Curtis Bambos Charalambous

Found: Committee Room 5 [ND26] Members present: Nick Smith (in the Chair) Bob Blackman Bambos Charalambous

Found: 10.00am in Committee Room 5 [ND25] Members present: Nick Smith (in the Chair) Bambos Charalambous

Found: Room 20 [ND19] Members present: Nick Smith (in the Chair) Alex Barros-Curtis Bambos Charalambous

Found: 10.00am in Macmillan Room, PCH [ND17] Members present: Nick Smith (in the Chair) Bambos Charalambous

Found: Members present: Nick Smith (in the Chair) Bob Blackman Alex Barros-Curtis Bambos Charalambous

Found: Committee Room 20 [ND14] Members present: Nick Smith (in the Chair) Bob Blackman Bambos Charalambous

Found: Committee Room 15 [ND15] Members present: Nick Smith (in the Chair) Bob Blackman Bambos Charalambous

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Nick Smith (Chair); Bambos Charalambous; Mary Glindon; Marie Goldman

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Cat Smith (Chair); James Asser; Bambos Charalambous; Sir Christopher