Health screening.
Straight, evidence-based advice on which screening tests are worth having — and which may not be — from your own GP.
Screening, explained honestly
Screening can save lives, but more tests are not always better.
Screening means testing people who feel well to look for early signs of disease. Done well, it catches problems when they are easiest to treat. Done badly, it can lead to false alarms, extra tests and treatment for conditions that would never have caused harm. Knowing the difference helps you make a decision that is right for you.
Dr Niall Maguire, GP at Bedford Medical Centre, runs freemedscreen.com as an independent source of factual guidance on health screening — free from commercial pressure to sell tests. It covers:
- Breast cancer screening — what mammograms can and cannot tell you, and when screening makes sense.
- Cervical cancer screening — how HPV-based screening works and what your results mean.
- Prostate cancer screening — the benefits and limits of the PSA test, so you can decide with your GP.
- General health checks — which routine tests are backed by evidence and which are not.
You can also talk to any of our GPs about screening at your next appointment. If you are eligible for a national screening programme (BreastCheck, CervicalCheck or BowelScreen), the HSE will contact you directly.
Want to talk it through?
Book a GP appointment to discuss which screening is right for you.