THE A-Z GUIDE TO HEALTH CHECKS IN 2023

AND CHECKS FOR UK ADULTS OF EVERY AGE

- Dr Nsisong Asanga

Although chronic diseases appear to ambush the unsuspecting like a bandit, they typically develop over many years. Detecting them before they cause symptoms can give you better odds of beating them. That's what health screenings do. Health screenings help healthcare teams uncover early signs of cancers and other chronic diseases while there's an opportunity to treat them and avoid complications. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), early detection is essential for treating cancers and other chronic conditions.

"Screening saves lives", says Dr Sarah Welsh, co-founder of HANX, a female-focused UK sexual health brand. "The screening programmes run by the NHS can pick up cases of early cancer, which have not shown any symptoms at all, preventing progression of the disease," she adds.

A group of experts called the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) guide the NHS in all four UK countries on the screening programmes to offer and to whom. This committee reviews its recommendations every three years, in line with new research findings as well as public consultation. It also monitors the overall quality of screening programmes.

The NHS offers all its screening tests free. Although private companies may offer many more, some tests they provide have not been recommended by the UK NSC because benefits don't clearly outweigh possible harm. According to Dr Hana Patel, a general practitioner (GP), screenings have numerous benefits. "They help reduce people's risk of developing various conditions, or if they do develop, then to diagnose and start treatment early, to reduce disease complications," she adds.