Corporate report

NHS screening programmes in England: 2020 to 2021

Updated 16 February 2023

Applies to England

This data report covers the screening year from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021. Data was provided by NHS England (NHS E).

Please be aware that this data covers the time period during the COVID-19 pandemic, therefore provider performance should be interpreted with caution. In addition, some providers were justifiably unable to make timely data returns or validate their data during this period.

From 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 there were more than 19 million screening tests for all conditions. More than 390,000 individuals required further testing or treatment following positive screening test results.

The COVID-19 pandemic had an effect on all screening services in England. Antenatal programmes were generally maintained throughout the pandemic, although there were some interruptions to newborn programmes (in particular relating to audiology services linked to the NHS Newborn Hearing Screening Programme (NHSP)). Some operational changes were implemented in the NHS Newborn Bloodspot Screening (NBS) Programme to make it more manageable in the early stages of the pandemic. Adult programmes were most affected. Some programmes paused for a period of time, and after restarting first focused on known highest risk individuals (for example men with an abdominal aorta aneurysm (AAA) 5.0 to 5.5cm from the quarterly AAA surveillance cohort). The NHS Breast Screening Programme (BSP) was seriously affected by the pandemic - this is described in more detail in the NHS Digital official statistics for the breast screening programme (2020 to 2021). Prompt provision of guidance by Public Health England (PHE) and NHS E national and regional teams together with the tenacity, flexibility and commitment of NHS screening staff were crucial in maintaining screening services.

Figure 1: screening activity in England from April 2020 to March 2021

The illustration in figure 1 above shows that from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021, the NHS:

• screened 3 million people for cervical abnormalities
• screened over 2.7 million people for bowel cancer
• performed nearly 500,000 tests for fetal anomalies during pregnancy
• tested 1.2 million women for abnormalities in breast tissue
• screened over 591,000 babies for 15 conditions (see list below)
• screened 164,000 men for an abdominal aortic aneurysm
• screened more than 642,000 pregnant women for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B, syphilis, sickle cell and thalassaemia
• provided routine eye screening for more than 1 million people with diabetes
• identified 391,000 people required testing and treatment following positive screening test results

The 15 newborn conditions screened for are:

• congenital cataracts
• congenital heart disease
• developmental dysplasia of the hip
• cryptorchidism (undescended testes)
• permanent deafness
• sickle cell disease
• cystic fibrosis (CF)
• congenital hypothyroidism (CHT)
• phenylketonuria (PKU)
• medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MCADD)
• maple syrup urine disease (MSUD)
• isovaleric acidaemia (IVA)
• glutaric aciduria type 1 (GA1)
• homocystinuria (HCU)
• thalassaemia - there is no routine screening for beta thalassaemia major, but most cases are detected and reported during newborn screening

NHS Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Screening Programme

AAA screening is offered to men when they turn 65 (cohort). Men aged 65 and over are most at risk of AAAs, and screening can help spot a swelling in the aorta at an early stage. Men aged over 65 who have not had AAA screening can contact their local service to arrange a test (self-referrals). The screening programme reduces premature deaths from ruptured AAAs among men aged 65 and over by up to 50% through early detection, appropriate follow-on tests and referral for potential treatment.

55.0% coverage of 2020 to 2021 screening cohort

Coverage is the proportion of the eligible population that is screened and has a result documented.

Measure	Value
Eligible for screening (2020 to 2021 cohort)	298,034
Offered screening	210,789
Tested (cohort)	163,968
Tested (self-referrals)	1,039
Coverage (self-referrals)	92.2%
AAAs detected (cohort)	1,542
Incidence (cohort)	0.94%
AAAs detected (self-referrals)	68
Incidence (self-referrals)	6.5%
Men on surveillance at end of year	14,617
Referrals to surgery	848
Elective AAA repairs	497
Deaths from elective repairs	7
Ruptures	32
Deaths from ruptures	29

Data source: AAA SMaRT.

Date extracted: August 2021.

For more information about AAA screening, see the AAA screening standards report for 2020 to 2021.

NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (BCSP)

Bowel cancer screening is offered to people aged 60 to 74 (cohort), every 2 years. People over the invitation age range are not invited, but can request a screening kit every 2 years (self-refer) by calling the free programme helpline on 0800 707 60 60. Bowel cancer screening looks for polyps and early-stage cancer. Removing polyps reduces the risk of bowel cancer developing.

Note that this data relates to faecal occult blood testing (FOBt).^{[footnote 1]}

70.95% of people invited to participate were adequately screened (uptake)

Measure	Value
Number of people invited	3,814,466
Number of people adequately screened	2,706,294
Number of people requiring further tests following FOBt	58,628
Positivity in 2020 to 2021	2.17%
Number of people diagnosed with cancer following further tests	4,327
Number of people with LNPCP (see below) or high risk findings following further tests	8,512
Number of people with intermediate or low risk findings following further tests	16,880
Number of people with abnormal findings (only) following further tests	10,715
Number of people with nothing abnormal detected following further tests	3,832

Table notes:

• ‘number of people invited’ covers one invite per screening episode. A screening subject can have multiple episodes during their bowel cancer screening ‘lifetime’. The number of people invited does not include requests for screening such as over-age self referrals, late responders or people opting back in to screening
• ‘adequately screened’ means people who adequately participated in FOBt bowel cancer screening. Some subjects will have needed more than one test kit within the screening episode to achieve a definitive FOBt outcome (for example due to spoilt test kits or technical failures)
• ‘further tests following FOBt’ relates to people who have been invited and adequately screened and received a result of ‘further tests needed’
• positivity is the proportion of invited people with an FOBt result of ‘further tests needed’, out of those who adequately participated in FOBt screening within the invited screening episode (at the time of reporting)
• the ‘number of people’ (episode) results presented are for the invited population only, for the specified fiscal year. Screening episode results are calculated from potentially multiple tests performed within the screening episode. Following changes in the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) polyp surveillance guidelines in late 2019, the data presented above combines the categories ‘large non-pedunculated colorectal polyp’ (LNPCP), ‘high risk findings’ and ‘high risk adenoma’ into the single category ‘LNPCP or high risk finding’. These categories will be disaggregated into the current constituent groups in subsequent reporting years. The pre-2019 categories of ‘intermediate risk adenoma’ and ‘low risk adenoma’ are now presented together
• ‘abnormal findings (only)’ can be for non-neoplastic diagnoses (such as diverticular disease, haemorrhoids or inflammatory bowel disease), a finding of pre-malignant polyps only (less than 5), diminutive rectal hyperplastic polyps or where testing showed polyps but histological confirmation was not possible

Data source: Bowel Cancer Screening IT System (BCSS), OBIEE reporting tool, national reports, FOBt screening, screening year 2020 to 2021.

Date extracted: 6 November 2022.

This data relates to the invited population only. Episodes originating from requests for screening or surveillance episodes are excluded from these counts.

From April 2019, a new home testing kit called a faecal immunochemical test (or ‘FIT’ kit) started to roll out across England. FIT replaced the guaiac faecal occult blood test (gFOBt kit) which had been in use since the programme began in 2006. As both tests look for hidden blood in faeces, both kits can be referred to as faecal occult blood test (FOBt) kits.

At FIT roll out, there was international and programme pilot data to show that the new kit type increases participation and is a more sensitive test at the programme’s chosen threshold. This explains why the data from screening year 2019 to 2020 showed an increase in uptake and positivity when compared to previous years. Any decrease in the counts for screening year 2020 to 2021 is likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the pause to screening.

In August 2018, ministers agreed that in the future bowel cancer screening in England will start at the age of 50. The NHS began to reduce the starting age for bowel cancer screening from April 2021.

NHS Breast Screening Programme (BSP)

Breast screening is offered to women between the ages of 50 up to their 71st birthday (cohort), every 3 years. Women over the invitation age range are not invited, but can request screening every 3 years by contacting their local screening service (self-referrals). Breast screening detects cancers at an early stage when effective treatment is more likely.

64.2% of women aged 53 up to their 71st birthday (70 years and 364 days) adequately screened at least once in the previous 36 months (coverage)

61.8% of eligible women invited attended for screening (uptake)

Measure	Value
Number of women screened (all ages)	1,187,165
Number of women screened (age 50 up to 71st birthday)	1,115,977
Number of women referred to assessment (age 50 up to 71st birthday)	43,276
Number of women diagnosed with cancer (all ages)	10,813
Number of women diagnosed with cancer (age 50 up to 71st birthday)	9,902
Number of women diagnosed with small invasive cancer (age 50 up to 71st birthday)	3,786

Data source: NBSS, BS Select and NHS Digital.

Data collected: October 2021.

Official statistics for the NHS Breast Screening Programme are published by NHS Digital.

The NHS Breast Screening Programme was seriously impacted by disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic during screening year 2020 to 2021. In March 2020, all 78 NHS breast screening units (BSUs) made their own decision to pause screening for approximately 3 months (March to June 2020) in order to allow staff to be redeployed to respond to COVID-19, and to protect patients and staff from the virus. When screening resumed, infection prevention measures meant that capacity of mobile breast screening units was significantly reduced for a number of months.

NHS Cervical Screening Programme (CSP)

Cervical screening is available to women and people with a cervix from the ages of 25 to 64 (cohort). People registered as female with their GP and aged 25 to 49 are invited every 3 years, and people registered as female and aged 50 to 64 are invited every 5 years. Cervical screening detects types of human papillomavirus (HPV) that can cause abnormal cells in the cervix. Removing these abnormal cells can prevent cervical cancer developing.

68.0% of women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 49 were adequately screened within the previous 3.5 years (coverage)

74.7% of women and people with a cervix aged 50 to 64 were adequately screened within the previous 5.5 years (coverage)

Measure	Value
Number of eligible women	15,654,049
Number of women invited for screening	4,585,768
Number of women tested	3,026,949
Number of screen positive women	141,896
Referrals to colposcopy or gynaecology	176,561 (42,218 were clinical referrals)

Only a portion of the eligible population for cervical screening is invited every year as women receive routine invitations every 3 or 5 years.

Table notes:

• ‘number of eligible women’ is the registered female population aged 25 to 64 minus any women ceased from cervical screening for clinical reasons
• ‘number of screen positive women’ is the number of adequate tests minus the number of negative result samples

Data source: Cervical Screening Programme, England - 2020-21.

Data collected: December 2021.

Official statistics for the NHS Cervical Screening Programme are published by NHS Digital.

Due to COVID-19 measures, attendance for screening was less than usual in the early part of 2020 to 2021. Screening and referral of those individuals considered to be at highest risk of a significant cervical abnormality was prioritised during this period and continued to take place. From the summer of 2020, the cervical screening programme began restoring, and higher than normal levels of screening tests were seen. All individuals eligible for screening who should have received an invitation in 2020 to 2021 were invited.

NHS Diabetic Eye Screening (DES) Programme

Diabetic eye screening is offered yearly to people aged 12 or over who have diabetes (cohort). Screening detects diabetic retinopathy, which can cause sight loss if left undiagnosed and untreated.

67.9% of people with diabetes who were offered screening completed testing (uptake)

Measure	Value
Eligible people with diabetes known to programme	3,578,500
Offered screening (routine digital screening)	1,489,405
Tested (routine digital screening)	1,011,405
New registrations to programme	240,805
Urgent referrals (R3A)	8,259
Routine referrals to hospital eye service (HES) (R2M1, R2M0, R1M1)	32,620
Routine referrals to digital surveillance (DS) (R2M1, R2M0, R1M1)	36,664
Routine referrals to HES and DS	69,057

Note:

• R1 means background retinopathy
• R2 means pre-proliferative retinopathy
• R3A means active proliferative retinopathy
• M0 is no maculopathy
• M1 is maculopathy

Data source: Programme performance reports, 2020 to 2021 annual submission.

Data collected: December 2021.

Some manual corrections made to individual services resulted in the sum of routine referrals to HES and DS not being equal to the total routine referrals.

In screening year 2020 to 2021, a risk-stratified approach was implemented to support the COVID-19 response where low-risk people had their screening due date moved forwards by up to 12 months meaning the higher risk individuals were the majority of those who were invited and attended in screening year 2020 to 2021. This had an impact on completeness of offer and numbers attending, as only part of the full cohort was invited.

NHS Fetal Anomaly Screening Programme (FASP)

Fetal anomaly screening is offered to eligible pregnant women at various points during the pregnancy (cohort). The tests are to detect the presence or chance of a range of conditions (see ‘Conditions screened for’ in the FASP programme overview).

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the FASP encouraged maternity services to continue screening where safe to do so.

85.2% screening coverage for Down’s syndrome, Edwards’ syndrome and Patau’s syndrome (T21/T18/T13)

99.2% screening coverage for fetal anomaly ultrasound

Measure	Value
Number of tests performed	499,709
Number of women at higher chance	12,969
Number of sonographers going through DQASS	2,484
DQASS % red flags	1.5%
DQASS % red flags	1.1%
DQASS % amber flags	34.6%
DQASS % green flags	60.4%
DQASS % no flags	2.5%

Data source: Down’s syndrome screening quality assurance support service (DQASS).

Data collected: August 2022.

For more information on FASP standards data, see the antenatal screening standards report for 2020 to 2021.

NHS Infectious Diseases in Pregnancy Screening (IDPS) Programme

Infectious diseases in pregnancy screening is offered to pregnant women (cohort), to detect HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis. Detection and treatment reduces the chance of passing on an infection to the baby, a partner or other family members.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the IDPS programme encouraged maternity services to continue screening where safe to do so.

HIV

99.8% screening coverage for HIV

Measure	Value
Eligible population	643,856
Number of women tested	642,434
Results reported within 8 working days	99.4%
Number of positive results	621
Screen positive women attending screening assessment within 10 working days	91.6%

Table notes:

• the figures for ‘eligible population’, ‘number of women tested’ and ‘number of positive results’ are based on key performance indicator (KPI) data. Exclusions were made where completed data was not submitted in all 4 quarters
• the figures for ‘results reported within 8 working days’ and ‘screen positive women attending screening assessment within 10 working days’ are based on annual standards data. Exclusions were made where data was incomplete or missing, not where trusts could not account for their whole cohort
• during the COVID-19 pandemic, guidance was changed to include virtual as well as face to face appointments for women with a screen positive result

Hepatitis B

99.8% screening coverage for hepatitis B

Measure	Value
Eligible population	643,845
Number of women tested	642,448
Results reported within 8 working days	99.4%
Number of positive results	2,214
Women with hepatitis B (new positive or high infectivity) seen for specialist assessment within 6 weeks	85.9%
Screen positive women attending screening assessment within 10 working days	93.3%
Babies born to hepatitis B positive women receiving first dose of vaccination within 24 hours	99.2%
Babies born to hepatitis B positive women receiving immunoglobulin (if required) within 24 hours	97.6%

Table notes:

• the figures for ‘eligible population’, ‘number of women tested’ and ‘women with hepatitis B (new positive or high infectivity)’ are based on KPI data. Exclusions were made where completed data was not submitted in all 4 quarters
• the figures for ‘results reported within 8 working days’, ‘number of positive results’, ‘screen positive women attending screening assessment within 10 working days’, ‘babies born to hepatitis B positive women receiving first does of vaccination within 24 hours’ and ‘babies born to hepatitis B positive women receiving immunoglobin (if required)’ are based on annual standards data. Exclusions were made where data was incomplete or missing, not where trusts could not account for their whole cohort
• during the COVID-19 pandemic, guidance was changed to include virtual as well as face to face appointments for women with a screen positive result

Syphilis

99.8% screening coverage for syphilis

Measure	Value
Eligible population	643,840
Number of women tested	642,433
Results reported within 8 working days	99.4%
Number of positive results	1,019
Screen positive women attending screening assessment within 10 working days	93.3%

Table notes:

• the figures for ‘eligible population’ and ‘number of women tested’ are based on KPI data. Exclusions were made when completed data was not submitted for all 4 quarters
• the figures for ‘results reported within 8 working days’, ‘number of positive results’ and ‘screen positive women attending assessment within 10 working days’ are based on annual standards data. Exclusions were made where data was incomplete or missing, not where trusts could not account for their whole cohort
• during the COVID-19 pandemic, guidance was changed to include virtual as well as face to face appointments for women with a screen positive result

Data source: maternity services (England).

Data collected: September 2021.

For more information on IDPS standards data, see the antenatal screening standards report for 2020 to 2021.

NHS Newborn and Infant Physical Examination (NIPE) Screening Programme

Newborn and infant physical examination screening is offered to babies at or before 72 hours of age, and again between 6 and 8 weeks of age (cohort). The examination looks for problems with the baby’s eyes, heart, hips and testes.

There was some disruption to the screening programme in screening year 2020 to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

97.0% screening coverage by 72 hours

Measure	Value
All: eligible babies	572,044
All: eligible babies tested by 72 hours	555,127
Eyes: number of babies with positive eye screening test	890
Eyes: timely assessment of eye referrals	68.3%
Eyes: number of babies identified with abnormalities of eyes	192
Hips: number of babies with positive hip screening test	3,631
Hips: timely assessment by hip ultrasound	36.4%
Hips: number of babies with positive hip screening test and identified with hip abnormalities	865
Hips: number of babies with hip risk factors	46,835
Hips: timely assessment of babies with hip risk factors	50.0%
Hips: number of babies with hip risk factors and identified with hip abnormalities	2,147
Testes: number of male babies identified with bilateral undescended testes	1,121
Testes: proportion of male babies identified with bilateral undescended testes and seen by specialist within 24 hours of newborn examination	72.2%
Testes: number of male babies identified with bilateral undescended testes abnormalities	534
Testes: number of male babies identified with unilateral undescended testes	4,539
Heart: number of babies with positive heart screening test	9,906
Heart: number of babies identified with heart abnormalities	878

Data source: NIPE National IT System (SMaRT4NIPE (S4N)).

Data extracted: 18 August 2022.

This data is based on inputs to S4N and reflect an improving but still incomplete data quality picture. In addition, work continues to improve and assure the NIPE screening and referral pathways. Data in screening year 2021 to 2022 will reflect changes to the eye and hip screening pathways and will include data working to new national guidance which permits a delay in screening until the baby reaches 34 weeks + 0 days gestation (to avoid inappropriate application of the screening pathway to very pre-term babies). It is hoped that with the changes in national standards and guidance from April 2021, and future increases in data quality and completeness, that there will be a more accurate and better understanding of NIPE screening performance in the data for screening year 2021 to 2022.

NHS Newborn Blood Spot (NBS) Screening Programme

Newborn blood spot screening is offered for babies up until their first birthday, with the exception of testing for cystic fibrosis which is only offered up until 8 weeks of age (cohort).

Screening takes place for 9 conditions (see tables in this section and data for sickle cell disease in the NHS Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Screening Programme section below). Newborn blood spot screening identifies conditions which can be treated to improve a baby’s health, and can help prevent severe disability or even death.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, newborn screening laboratories were instructed to relax blood spot acceptance criteria on samples that would normally have been rejected, and also to accept day 4 samples. Together these factors may have affected performance.

Overview

97.2% of babies tested and recorded on the Child Health Information System (CHIS) by 17 days (coverage of Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) responsibility at birth)

There were 745 babies who tested positive for a NBS-screened condition, and a further 52 babies were clinically diagnosed before screening.

Cystic fibrosis (CF)

Measure	Value
Babies tested	593,581
Total screened positive (including babies clinically diagnosed before screening)	165
Screened positive first sample (excludes 21 babies clinically diagnosed before screening)	86
Babies for whom age at appointment is recorded	68
Screened positive first sample and first appointment within 28 days	60
Screened positive second sample (excludes 3 babies clinically diagnosed before screening)	55
Babies for whom age at appointment is recorded	31
Screened positive second sample and first appointment within 35 days	24
Carriers detected by the screening pathway	99

Congenital hypothyroidism (CHT)

Measure	Value
Babies tested	591,851
Total screened positive (including babies clinically diagnosed before screening) (see note)	443
Screened positive first sample (excludes 6 babies clinically diagnosed before screening)	269
Babies for whom age at appointment is recorded	255
Screened positive first sample and first appointment within 14 days	234
Screened positive second sample (excludes 4 babies clinically diagnosed before screening	164
Babies for whom age at appointment is recorded	143
Screened positive second sample and first appointment within 21 days	125

Note: excludes 34 pre-term babies.

Phenylketonuria (PKU)

Measure	Value
Babies tested	591,947
Babies screened positive (excludes 10 babies clinically diagnosed before screening)	69
Babies for whom age at appointment is recorded	60
Screened positive and first appointment within 14 days	59

Medium-chain-acyl-CoA-dehydrogenase deficiency (MCADD)

Measure	Value
Babies tested	591,946
Babies screened positive (excludes 5 babies clinically diagnosed before screening)	40
Babies for whom age at appointment is recorded	39
Screened positive and first appointment within 14 days	37

Isovaleric acidaemia (IVA)

Measure	Value
Babies tested	591,946
Babies screened positive (excludes 1 baby clinically diagnosed before screening)	21
Babies for whom age at appointment is recorded	18
Screened positive and first appointment within 14 days	18

Glutaric aciduria type 1 (GA1)

Measure	Value
Babies tested	591,947
Babies screened positive (excludes 2 babies clinically diagnosed before screening)	3
Babies for whom age at appointment is recorded	3
Screened positive and first appointment within 14 days	3

Homocystinuria - pyridoxine unresponsive (HCU)

Measure	Value
Babies tested	591,946
Babies screened positive (excludes no babies clinically diagnosed before screening)	1
Babies for whom age at appointment is recorded	1
Screened positive and first appointment within 14 days	1

Maple syrup urine disease (MSUD)

Measure	Value
Babies tested	591,946
Babies screened positive (excludes no babies clinically diagnosed before screening)	3
Babies for whom age at appointment is recorded	3
Screened positive and first appointment within 14 days	3

Data source: Newborn screening laboratories and Child Health.

Data collected: July 2022.

NHS Newborn Hearing Screening Programme (NHSP)

Newborn hearing screening is offered to babies ideally within the first 4 to 5 weeks after birth (cohort). The test can be carried out up to the age of 3 months. Screening identifies permanent moderate, severe and profound deafness, and hearing impairment. Early detection enables interventions to improve language, speech and communication skills as the baby develops.

There was significant disruption to the screening programme due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This affected coverage and audiology assessment.

96.9% of babies completed screening by 4 weeks corrected age (hospital programmes: well baby protocol or neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) protocol (babies in a neonatal care unit for more than 48 hours) - or by 5 weeks corrected age (community programme: well baby protocol)

Measure	Value
Number of eligible babies	578,993
Number of babies for whom screening process was completed by 3 months corrected age	573,812
Proportion of babies for whom screening process was completed by 3 months corrected age	99.1%
Proportion of babies for whom the screen is declined	0.19%
Proportion of well babies who do not show a clear response in both ears at AOAE1 (hospital model)	21.2%
Proportion of well babies who do not show a clear response in both ears at AOAE1 (community model)	13.5%
Number of babies referred for diagnostic audiological assessment	17,094
Proportion referred for diagnostic audiological assessment from hospital model	3.0%
Proportion referred for diagnostic audiological assessment from community model	2.3%
Proportion of babies with a no clear response result in one or both ears or other result that requires an immediate onward referral for audiological assessment who are offered audiological assessment within the required timescale	86.7%
Proportion of babies with a no clear response result in one or both ears or other result that requires an immediate onward referral for audiological assessment who receive audiological assessment within the required timescale	80.4%
Number of babies with a confirmed hearing impairment in both ears by 6 months of age	506

AOAE1 means the first automatic otoacoustic emissions test.

Data source: NHSP National IT System (S4H).

Data extracted: 19 August 2022.

NHS Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia (SCT) Screening Programme

Sickle cell and thalassaemia screening includes antenatal screening for pregnant women (ideally at 10 weeks’ gestation) and screening for fathers (if the baby’s mother is a genetic carrier). Sickle cell screening via newborn blood spot screening for babies takes place one week after birth (cohort). Antenatal SCT screening means parents can find out if they are carriers of the sickle cell or thalassaemia gene, and may therefore have passed it on to their baby.

There is no routine screening for babies at risk of inheriting beta thalassaemia major. However, most cases of beta thalassaemia major should be detected during newborn screening, but thalassaemia carriers are not.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the SCT programme encourage maternity services to continue screening as usual or within technical guidance.

Antenatal (AN) screening

99.7% screening coverage

Measure	Value
Women tested	643,672
Percentage of women tested by 10 weeks	51.3%
Screen positive pregnant women	11,743
Rate of screen positive women	1.92%
Percentage of fathers tested	72.4%
At risk couples detected	802

Table notes:

• figures for ‘women tested’, ‘percentage of women tested by 10 weeks’ and ‘rate of screen positive women’ are based on KPI data. Exclusions were made where completed data was not submitted for all 4 quarters
• figures for ‘screen positive pregnant women’, ‘rate of screen positive women’, ‘percentage of fathers tested’ and ‘at risk couples detected’ are based on antenatal laboratory data (125 of 139 expected returns). Figures may differ to those published in the programme-specific data report for screening year 2020 to 2021

Prenatal diagnostic (PND) testing

Measure	Value
PNDs performed	399
Affected fetal results	99

Table note: figures for the above measures were based on KPI data. Exclusions were made where completed data was not submitted for all 4 quarters.

Newborn (NB) screening

Measure	Value
Newborn babies screened	589,542
Screen positive results	227
Rate of screen positive results	0.39 per 1,000 babies tested
Carrier results	7,573

Table notes:

• figures for the above measures are based on newborn laboratory data. Figures may differ to those published in the programme-specific data report for screening year 2020 to 2021
• ‘screen positive results’ include babies identified with haemoglobin results of FS, FSC, FS-other and FE

Data source: Maternity services, antenatal laboratories, newborn screening laboratories and PND laboratories.

Data collected: May 2022.

For more information on SCT standards data, see the antenatal screening standards report for 2020 to 2021.

1. NHS Bowel Cancer Screening is initially carried out using a home testing kit called a faecal occult blood test kit, or ‘FOBt kit’ for short. The kit is designed to look for small amounts of blood in participant’s poo (faeces), that wouldn’t normally be noticeable by eye. Finding blood doesn’t mean cancer has been detected, but means further tests, such as a colonoscopy, are usually advised. ↩