Chlamydia screening programme criticised

The Government’s programme to control chlamydia infection in young people has not delivered value for money, the National Audit Office says.

Its report on the national screening programme found that only half of primary care trusts (PCTs) achieved the required level of screening (26 per cent), six years after the programme began. Devolved delivery through PCTs resulted in duplication and inefficiency. Twelve per cent of those who tested positive were not recorded as treated, and most PCTs were not achieving the standards for tracing and treating the sexual partners. Seventeen per cent of the £100 million spent so far has been wasted.