AQW 24875/22-27

Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry

Tabled Date: 24/03/2025
Answered On Date: 07/04/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health how his Department ensures that individuals beyond the eligible screening age are made aware of self-referral options where available.

Answer:

There are currently three cancer screening programmes in Northern Ireland for asymptomatic individuals: Bowel, Breast and Cervical. Age cut-offs in cancer screening programmes aim to maximize the benefits of screening while minimizing potential harms. If a person has any concerns or symptoms, they are advised to consult their GP immediately.

There is no self-referral option available outside of the current eligible screening age for bowel cancer screening in Northern Ireland between 60-74 years old.

In respect of the cervical screening programme, eligible women aged between 25-64 years old are invited routinely to participate in cervical screening. Women with previous abnormal results who require ongoing surveillance past the age of 64, will remain within the screening programme until they can be safely discharged. While there is no self-referral process, any cervical screening samples taken by GPs from women outside the screening age group will still be processed and reported by the laboratory.

Women over the age of 70 years old are not routinely invited to breast screening but at their last screening appointment within the eligible age cohort of 50-70 years old, women are advised that they can self-refer for screening by contacting their local breast screening unit: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/breast-screening-overview#toc-1.

Women are given an over 70s leaflet and a reminder card, with additional leaflets and posters being made available to the Breast Screening units to display and in other locations e.g. GP surgeries.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), an independent scientific committee, makes recommendations to the four nations in relation to screening matters, to include age thresholds. The UK NSC routinely reviews the evidence available for the population screening programmes.