NHS screening plans
Tuesday, 01 Apr 2008 12:21
Screening will look for illnesses including heart and kidney disease
Should the NHS be screening people to prevent illness or just caring for those who are already sick?
That is the issue raised by the government's announcement that all people aged between 40 and 74 will be screened for major illnesses by the NHS under a national programme.
Health secretary Alan Johnson said tests would look for signs of vascular diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease.
These diseases kill 170,000 people and affect more than four million people every year.
The government hopes a national screening programme will shift the NHS' focus from cure to prevention and will help reduce the mortality gap between the rich and the poor.
It estimates that a vascular check programme would prevent 4,000 people a year from developing diabetes; save 9,500 heart attacks and strokes; and could also detect at least 25,000 cases of diabetes or kidney disease earlier, allowing cases to be better managed and improving outcomes.
Health campaigners have welcomed the news but doctors' groups have warned that screening could lead to the healthy being seen by doctors at the expense of the sick.
inthenews.co.uk brings you all the key responses and comment on the issue throughout the day.
