The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) has been reviewing evidence relating to population screening for coeliac disease in adults.
Coeliac disease is one of the health conditions the committee reviews regularly to assess the evidence that would support a national screening programme.
Evidence maps are typically the first step in the evidence review process and the UK NSC commissioned an evidence map to outline the volume and type of evidence on screening for coeliac disease published since the previous UK NSC review of this topic in 2014.
We are now offering stakeholders the chance to provide feedback on the evidence map and its conclusions. We are also asking stakeholders to highlight any issues related to coeliac disease screening in the adult population that it would be useful to explore.
How to respond
Download and read the 2025 evidence map on screening for coeliac disease.
Please email any feedback to uknsc@dhsc.gov.uk by 11.59pm GMT on Monday 16 February 2026.
About Coeliac disease
Coeliac disease is a common bowel condition. It occurs when the immune system is too sensitive to a protein called gluten. Gluten is found in wheat, rye and barley, which are often used to make foods such as bread, pasta and biscuits.
Coeliac disease damages the small intestine so the body cannot properly take in nutrients. It causes a range of symptoms, including diarrhoea, abdominal pain and bloating.
Treatment is a strict gluten-free diet.
The evidence
The 2025 evidence map identified a substantial volume of new published evidence since 2014.
It found that:
- there is substantial evidence on specific risk groups in which coeliac disease may be more prevalent and that these groups could be considered for targeted screening programmes
- a more in-depth investigation of published studies is needed to understand if blood tests used to screen for coeliac disease work as well in people without symptoms as they do in those who are unwell
- there is limited evidence on whether screen detection of coeliac disease leads to improved outcomes - some relevant studies were found and further review of these could help answer this question
- a more in-depth review of the included economic model could show whether screening the general population for coeliac disease would be cost effective
Next steps
Based on the findings of this evidence map, the UK NSC is working to commission further evidence synthesis work to assess the published evidence on screening for coeliac disease in adults in greater depth.
This feedback exercise aims to gather insights, priorities, and considerations that will help shape the scope and direction of this future evidence synthesis.
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