The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) is holding a 3-month public consultation on repeat screening for syphilis in pregnancy.
Syphilis is one of the health conditions the committee reviews regularly for evidence relating to population screening. The UK NSC currently recommends offering women a syphilis test early in pregnancy as part of the NHS Infectious Diseases in Pregnancy Screening Programme.
The committee uses modelling studies to predict the costs and health effects of one intervention compared to another, based on the best available evidence.
It commissioned the Sheffield Evidence Network for Screening Synthesis (SENSS) to develop an updated 2026 modelling study on repeat screening for syphilis in pregnancy. This 2026 model, an update to the 2020 UK NSC model on the topic, evaluates only the potential clinical and cost-effectiveness of adding an additional syphilis screen in the third trimester of pregnancy. The model and its conclusions do not impact the existing syphilis screening programme in the first trimester of pregnancy.
We are holding the public consultation to ask individuals and organisations to provide feedback on the study and its conclusions.
About syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection with potentially serious health impacts if not detected and treated. Congenital syphilis is when a baby develops syphilis before birth. This happens when syphilis passes from the mother to the baby during pregnancy. It can lead to miscarriage or stillbirth. It can also mean the baby is born too early, dies at birth, or has serious health problems.
Evidence from the model
The updated 2026 model asks whether all pregnant women should be offered a second routine syphilis test in addition to the test they are already offered early in pregnancy. The purpose of the second test would be to prevent cases of congenital syphilis when a mother acquires syphilis during pregnancy. The second test would happen in the last 3 months of pregnancy, known as the third trimester.
The model makes use of new national data on syphilis in pregnancy and congenital syphilis in England from the Integrated Screening Outcomes Surveillance Service (ISOSS). This data was not available when the previous 2020 model was developed. It shows that syphilis in pregnancy and congenital syphilis have become more common in England since 2020.
The model found that while universal repeat screening would prevent additional cases of congenital syphilis and other serious adverse outcomes, the absolute benefits remain small relative to the scale and economic cost of a nationwide programme.
This does not mean repeat screening lacks clinical value, but it suggests that universal national repeat screening is unlikely to be cost‑effective under current assumptions. This means the resources that repeat screening might require could be used for greater health benefit elsewhere.
How to respond
To take part in the consultation, download the consultation documents by clicking on the grey ‘View documents’ button on the UK NSC’s Syphilis recommendation page. Then submit your response by clicking on the green ‘Submit comments’ button.
The deadline for responses is 11.59pm BST on 3 January 2027.
The UK NSC will review and consider the responses after the consultation closes. The committee then agrees a recommendation at a UK NSC meeting. It publishes meeting minutes including the recommendation around 6 weeks later.
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