Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 June 2023
174. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health if he will seek a costing proposal from the HSE/NSAC for the introduction of a population screening programme for haemochromatosis in order to appropriately diagnose the general population for this very serious condition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28861/23]
View answerI am fully committed to supporting our population screening programmes which are a valuable part of our health service, enabling early treatment and care for many people, and improving the overall health of our population.
It is important to be aware that any decisions about changes to our national screening programmes, such as screening for Haemochromatosis, will be made on the advice of our National Screening Advisory Committee (NSAC). This independent expert group considers and assesses evidence in a robust and transparent manner, and against internationally accepted criteria. It is important we have rigorous processes in place to ensure our screening programmes are effective, quality assured and operating to safe standards, and that the benefits of screening outweigh the harms.
An exact costing cannot be provided for the introduction of a new population-based screening programme as financial cost is but one factor that is considered in the decision-making process. Due to the complex nature of the evaluation process and the criteria against which a decision is made, it would be impossible to accurately quantify the cost of a new screening programme until a full evidential assessment was completed.
The Committee's Annual Call 2022 for proposals for new screening programmes or changes to our existing programmes, received a total of 19 submissions, which included a submission on Genetic Haemochromatosis.
Genetic Haemochromatosis, along with a number of other conditions, is currently under consideration by NSAC. The Committee has published its Work Programme on its website, setting out the status of proposals currently being considered.
