Guidance

UK NSC open call: how to submit a proposal

Updated 22 September 2025

This guidance explains how to submit topics to the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) to consider under the open call for topics.

Topic proposals can relate to 2 types of screening programme: population and targeted. See UK NSC definitions.

Topic proposals can include:

• proposals for new topics
• early updates of topics that the UK NSC has considered within the past 3 years
• proposals to modify or cease existing screening programmes

All submissions should be made during the 3-month open call for topics period.

Before submission

Consider whether you are:

• proposing a new topic
• requesting an early update for a topic
• suggesting a modification to, or ceasing of, an existing screening programme

Check the UK NSC’s list of recommendations to: 

• see if the condition has previously been reviewed 

• understand the current recommendation and reasons behind it 

Review the UK NSC’s criteria for population and targeted screening programmes.

Gather information to support your proposal, particularly considering: 

• the definition of the condition to be screened for 

• the test to be offered in a screening programme that would identify people with the condition 

• who to offer the screening to (this may be the whole population or a subset if targeted screening) 

• the intervention, for example the treatment, that would be offered to people diagnosed with the condition and when this would be offered 

• existing guidance from other organisations on the condition

Writing your proposal

Follow the instructions on the open call submission form.

Try to provide balanced, impartial information, highlighting both potential benefits and harms of screening. If necessary, highlight gaps and limitations in current evidence. 

Write your proposal so it can be understood by someone who is not an expert in the topic area. Try to avoid abbreviations and acronyms, or define them when first used, and avoid technical jargon. 

Published peer-reviewed evidence is helpful to support the submission. All information provided should be based on referenced publications. References must be papers published in peer-reviewed journals, specifying authors, title, journal, issue number and year of publication. 

Systematic reviews, randomised controlled trials (RCTs), population-based studies and/or test accuracy studies with consecutively enrolled or randomly selected samples from the target population are particularly useful in supporting proposals. The UK NSC understands that RCTs are not available for rare conditions. 

Include information on any existing guidance on the topic that is published by other organisations, such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), particularly if your submission relates to targeted screening. 

If possible, include a flowchart as a graphical representation of the screening pathway from identifying the eligible population through to the outcomes of the screening programme. See the flowchart in the open call submission example. 

It is helpful it the flowchart includes the estimated number of people: 

• accepting / declining screening 

• testing positive / negative / uncertain 

• receiving treatment 

• helped / unaffected / harmed by the programme 

Please note, submissions will not be rejected based on flowcharts not being included. 

We may share the details provided in your proposal with other organisations, such as NICE, to support discussions and decisions on next steps. Additionally, information about your proposal may be shared in the public domain, for example as part of protocols for evidence products. Please do not send the UK NSC any confidential information that cannot be shared further or placed in the public domain.

Submit your proposal 

Send your completed form to uknsc@dhsc.gov.uk by the deadline. 

The Fetal, Maternal, Child Health (FMCH) expert group or the Adult Reference Group (ARG) will propose next steps for submissions and a final decision will be made in collaboration with the UK NSC. The selected topics will be included in the next UK NSC work plan, which will be agreed with the chief medical officers (CMOs) from the 4 countries. 

We will aim to get back to you after the relevant expert groups have met and the UK NSC has taken a decision on your proposal.