Public health experts urge broader NHS screening to catch hidden disease earlier

Public health experts are pressing for wider NHS screening in England, arguing that more routine checks could identify people at risk of serious illness before symptoms appear. The discussion comes as the health service continues to spend heavily on hospital treatment rather than earlier prevention, according to commentary by Prof Devi Sridhar.

Sridhar, chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh, said people can have high blood pressure, pre-diabetes or a raised heart-attack risk without realising it. She argued that the NHS should do more to find those patients earlier and intervene before they need emergency care.

Her comments follow the introduction of free cholesterol tests on the NHS, which she described as a useful step but not enough on its own. She said a broader five-point health check would be more effective at spotting hidden problems and reducing later demand on acute services.

The debate reflects a wider shift in England’s health spending, with more money going to hospitals and less to primary care such as GP services. That balance, Sridhar said, leaves the system treating advanced disease rather than preventing it.