MPs: Chlamydia screening lacks urgency

The government has been accused by a group of MPs of a lack of urgency regarding its chlamydia screening programme.

A report by the Commons Committee of Public Accounts stated that the current chlamydia screening programme is not only ineffectual in fighting the spread of the infection, but also represents a waste of funds.

The National Chlamydia Screening Programme was launched in 2003 by the Department of Health (DoH).

In the new report, MPs found that since the programme’s launch, the DoH has spent an estimated £100 million on the scheme, but it is still unknown what effect this spending has had.

Commenting on the report’s findings, Edward Leigh, chairman of the committee, said that a lack of urgency to curb the disease is one of the programme’s major problems.

He added: “This is a classic example of what can happen when the responsibility for delivering a national initiative is pushed down to local level, with little thought about the mechanisms and interventions needed.”