Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of electrocardiogram screening for young people engaged in organised sport, including the clinical effectiveness and cost effectiveness of such screening.

The Government is guided by the independent scientific advice of the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC). It is only where the offer to screen provides more good than harm that a screening programme is recommended. The UK NSC makes its recommendations based on internationally recognised criteria and a rigorous evidence review and consultation process.

Every sudden cardiac death of a young person is a tragedy. The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) is currently re-examining the evidence for sudden cardiac death screening in young people, including those involved in organised sports, and will open a public consultation on this in the spring.

The Government welcome the UK NSC’s robust and rigorous approach to evaluating the benefits and harms of screening, as it is vital that screening policy is based on scientific evidence.