Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of offering electrocardiogram screening to under 35s.

The Government recognises how worrying heart health can be for the families of young people. The National Health Service already offers cardiac tests for young people who present with symptoms that could indicate a cardiac issue.

In considering whether any screening programme should be introduced, the Government is guided by the independent scientific advice of the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC). The UK NSC makes its recommendations based on internationally recognised criteria and a rigorous evidence review and consultation process. Where the committee is confident that offering screening provides more good than harm, they recommend a screening programme.

In 2019, the UK NSC reviewed screening for the conditions associated with sudden cardiac death in people under the age of 39 years old. The conclusion of that review was that population screening should not be offered, as research showed that current tests are not accurate enough to use on young people with no symptoms.

Last month the UK NSC opened a public consultation to seek comments from members of the public and stakeholders on screening for the conditions associated with sudden cardiac death. The consultation is open till 31 August, and we encourage those with an interest to contribute, at the following link:

https://view-health-screening-recommendations.service.gov.uk/sudden-cardiac-death/