Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cost effectiveness of digital breast tomosynthesis in the NHS breast screening programme, including the impact of improved cancer detection and reduced recall rates on treatment costs and patient outcomes.

The Government recognises the benefits that emerging innovative technologies such as digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) may bring to the NHS Breast Screening Programme. At present, DBT is an optional tool in the assessment of screen detected soft tissue breast abnormalities following mammography. Digital mammography, which offers high quality images, currently remains the primary screening tool for the programme as recommended by the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC).

In 2025, the UK NSC, who advise the Government on all screening matters, 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 United Kingdom breast screening programmes. This includes exploring modalities such as DBT in addition to other tests and technologies, to detect breast cancer in women with dense breast tissue.

If, following this work, the UK NSC makes a recommendation regarding DBT, 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.