The All Party Parliamentary Group on Genetic Haemochromatosis met recently to discuss findings of screening cost effectiveness in Northern Ireland.

The meeting was addressed by Jonny Bound & Nicholas Brooks of FTI Consulting LLP, authors of the report "The Economics of Screening for Genetic Haemochromatosis in Northern Ireland".

Pictured below (left to right) : selected APPG members - back - Jonny Bound (FTI Consulting LLP), Nicholas Brook (FTI Consulting LLP), Neil McClements (CEO, HUK) , Rt Hon Sir John Jayes CBE MP (Chair, APPG on GH), James Wild MP (Vice-Chair, APPG on GH) - front - Sarah Vousden (Interim Chair of Trustees, HUK), Pippa Randolph (Trustee, HUK) & Baroness Evans of Bowes Park.

Members of the APPG discussed the report within the context of other countries (such as Canada and Australia) where earlier studies had reached similar conclusions, albeit within a different healthcare policy framework.

The meeting considered the key takeaways of the report, that :

• Screening saves lives, saves money 
• For every £1 spent on screening, over £3 of benefit is generated
• The case for screening is strongest for people in their 40s - both men and women

The team from FTI Consulting reflected upon the findings of their base case, which demonstrate that screening peopel for GH in NI in their 40s would :

• Save the NHS £91 million in care costs 
• Improve Quality of Life by £54 million 
• Help others by securing £53 million of donated blood products 

The meeting resolved to seek a meeting with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting MP, to draw these findings to his attention and to encourage the Department of Health to reflect on the details of the report, which demonstrate a net benefit for screening under a range of prevalence scenarios.

Pictured below (left to right) : Sarah Vousden (Interim Chair of Trustees, HUK), Jonny Bound (FTI Consulting LLP), Pippa Randolph (Trustee, HUK), Neil McClements (CEO, HUK) & Nicholas Brook (FTI Consulting LLP)