The NIHR Bristol Evidence Synthesis for Screening (BESS) Group is a team of researchers, experts in screening, clinicians and public contributors who work on evidence synthesis projects. We aim to identify all relevant information on specific topics related to screening. We combine and summarise the findings to show where there is useful evidence or important gaps. Our reports help the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) make recommendations about screening programmes to ministers and the NHS.
The BESS Group are internationally recognised experts in evidence synthesis methodology and cost-effectiveness modelling. We are committed to embedding PPIE across the work of the group and have two public contributors in our Research Oversight Group to help us with this.
The BESS Group is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Evidence Synthesis Programme. We are part of the Bristol Evidence synthesis, Appraisal and Modelling (BEAM) Centre, within Population Health Sciences in Bristol Medical School at the University of Bristol.
Why do we need to evaluate screening programmes?
All screening can cause harm as well as benefit. It can find things that would never have caused problems, leading to unnecessary worry and treatment. It can also give false alarms – where a test suggests something is wrong, but further tests show there’s no problem, which can be stressful. Some real cases will also typically be missed, which can give false reassurance. Before starting or changing any screening programme, we need to understand whether the proposed programme leads to better outcomes compared with not screening, or compared with the current approach.
The BESS Group
Leadership and Core Group*
- Penny Whiting: Co-Director
- Hayley Jones: Co-Director
- Marie Westwood: Lead Reviewer
- Martha Elwenspoek: Senior Reviewer (from 1st September 2026)
- Amanda Owen-Smith: Lead Qualitative researcher
- Howard Thom: Lead Modeller
BESS Staff
- Clare Williams: Senior Research Administrator
- Katie Kerr: Systematic Reviewer
- Shona Kirtley: Information Specialist and Systematic Reviewer
- Hanyu Wang: Systematic Reviewer
- Isobelle Hazell: Systematic Reviewer
- Qian Xin: Health Economic Modeller
Research Oversight Group*
- Angela Raffle: Screening Evaluation and Delivery Expertise
- Margaret McCartney: Clinical and Screening Expertise
- Deborah Lane: Public Contributor
- Stella O’Brien: Public Contributor
- Jessica Watson: Clinical and Test Evaluation Expertise
- Nicky Welton: Senior Modelling Advisor
- Chris Cooper: Senior Information Specialist
* Members of the Leadership and Core Group also form part of the Research Oversight Group