Screening – it’s complicated. The science, evidence and practice of screening for disease

Date: 5 February 2026

Venue: Parliament Hall, 66 South Street, St. Andrews, KY16 9QW

Time: 10am to 4pm

Price: £55

The Centre for Evidence and Values in Healthcare is offering its second course - Screening, it's complicated on 5 February in St. Andrews. 

Join the event to discuss the complexities and controversies of screening, dilemmas, and politics, ranging from newborn testing to prostate cancer. When is screening useful, harmful, or cost- effective, and how are the decisions made by the NHS?

Dr Angela Raffle, the leading public health physician and a national leader in improving screening programmes will deliver the keynote: Stories from 30 years of screening; creating order out of chaos.

Other multidisciplinary visiting speakers will also join the event: Richard Foggo, Co-Director of Population Health with the Scottish Government; and Dr Tasmin Somerfield, National Clinical Advisor/Deputy Director of Screening, NHS National Services Scotland.  Richard and Tasmin will speak as policymakers considering the politics and evidence conundrum.  Dr Emily Postan, Senior Lecturer and Chancellor’s Fellow in Bioethics at University of Edinburgh, will consider whether self-knowledge is always ‘good’.

Speakers from the University of St. Andrews include: Professor Frank Sullivan and Dr Margaret McCartney, who will discuss current Issues in screening in the NHS, the commercial sector, and the press. Professor Kevin Orr: “Screening Knowledge and Narratives.”

As part of the event, there will be a “mini masterclass.” All necessary materials will be provided before the meeting to maximize discussion and learning in a collaborative and supportive environment. Ms Robin Alexander, Research Fellow in Medical Statistics, will open the session with an informative presentation on screening and statistics.

The course is aimed at people who are new to screening, want to know more about it, and who are already knowledgeable but want to think about new dilemmas that technology has brought us. People at the start, middle, and end of their careers who work in healthcare, policy, journalism, and patient advocacy are welcome.

Please contact The Centre for Evidence and Values in Healthcare if you have any questions about the event.  Booking here.